Black-crested Finch
Lophospingus pusillus
Striking and distinctive small finch-like tanager of the Chaco desert from central Argentina to W Paraguay and S Bolivia. Prefers open cactus and thorn woodland, often near roads and settlements. Generally in pairs or small groups. Range overlaps with Gray-crested finch in southern Bolivia. Juveniles of these two species are similar but note Black-ctrested’s broad supercilium.
Identification
The adult black-crested finch is about 14 cm (5.5 in) in length. It has a yellowish-pink beak and a distinctive spiky black crest. The male has a black head and black throat, and a broad white superciliary stripe. The cheek area is also white. The upper parts of the body, the wings and tail are grey, apart from the white tips to the wing-coverts and the large white areas at the corners of the tail which are particularly obvious in flight. The underparts are largely pale grey. The female is a little more drab, the crest is retained but the head pattern is less distinct, and the back and wings are tinged with brown.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lophospingus pusillus
- Authority
- (Burmeister, 1860)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Lophospingus
Range and habitat
The black-crested finch is found in a large swathe of land in South America. Its range extends from southern Bolivia, through western Paraguay to northern Argentina. It is usually found in open woodland and chaco scrubland, at altitudes of up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It has been introduced into Uruguay.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
The black-crested finch is generally seen in pairs or in small groups. It forages on the ground and in the undergrowth for seeds and small invertebrates. The nest is built by the male and is cup shaped. It is composed of lichens and vegetable fibres, bound together with spiders' webs and lined with animal hairs and fine rootlets.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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A swallow with a small rufous patch on the forehead and a diagnostic complete steel-blue breast band which forms a white throat patch. This migrant breeds in South Africa in the Austral summer, September to April, and spends the non-breeding period (May to August) in south-central Africa. It prefers foraging in pairs or groups, sometimes with other swallow species, in grassland, light woodland, and floodplains, and is often seen perching on fences or on posts near water.
Yellow-browed Tit
Sylviparus modestus
Plain yellowish bird with a weak crest and pale brow; doesn’t look like any other tit. Darker above than below, but largely lacks eye-catching physical features. Often joins mixed-species flocks in small groups. Inhabits montane evergreen forests, where it sticks to the middle and upper levels of the vegetation. Calls are high and thin with a lisping quality; song is a series of one constantly repeated note.
Oriental Skylark
Alauda gulgula
Chunky brown songbird with a weak crest, typically found on the ground in open fields and meadows. Darker above than below, with fine black streaking on the chest and light chestnut ear coverts with dark border. Very similar to Eurasian Skylark, with which it shares much of its range, but Oriental has buffy, not white, outer tail edges and trailing edge of wing. Breeding males “skylark,” singing a series of variable notes while hovering high above the territory.
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