| Mourning Sierra-finch Rhopospina fruticeti (aka Phrygilus fruticeti) Chilean name: Yal |
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Chile
The Mourning Sierra-finch is distributed in Peru, Bolivia, western and southern Argentina and northern and central Chile. In the austral summer some migrate to Patagonia. It is found in scrub and shrubby vegetation, never in forest or open grassland. |
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The male, shown here in photos 1 to 6, has an orange-yellow bill, a grey head and grey back with black streaks. Below it has a black throat and breast shading to a whitish belly. The legs are yellowish. The appearance changes depending on whether or not the plumage is worn with photos 1 to 3 showing fresher plumage with a restricted black bib. These were taken at Torres del Paine and are of the nominate sub-species. | |||
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Photos 4 to 6 were taken at Putre in the far north and show a much blacker plumage. I believe that this is a function of wear although we are very close to the area for the sub-species P. f. coracinus where the male is described by Fjeldså & Krabbe as "almost black throughout with insignificant gray streaks on back and rump, narrow white wingbars, and hardly any white on lower belly or vent." | |||
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The female, seen here in photos 7 and 8 is streaked brown
and has a cinnamon patch on the cheek.
There are recordings on xeno-canto. |
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