The taxonomy of this species, and indeed its status as a species, is a bit confusing. Most authorities regard it as a sub-species of Stripe-headed Brush Finch Buarremon torquatus but recent work by Cadena and Cuervo indicates that it is a full species. (see: Cadena, C. D., and A. M. Cuervo. 2010. Molecules, ecology, morphology, and songs in concert: How many species is “Arremon torquatus” (Aves, Emberizidae)? . Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 99:152-176.) This is the classification followed by the HBW and Birdlife International checklist.

The Sierra Nevada Brush-finch is distributed only in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta where it is found in the undergrowth of the humid forest at altitudes between 600 and 2,800 metres.

The bird in these photos was recorded by Jeremy Minns. It is a high-pitched fast and rather nervous sounding series of whistles.