Bay-chested Warbling Finch
Castanozoster thoracicus
Small finch with a conspicuous chestnut breast and flanks. Gray above with a white throat and belly and a white arc below the eye. Found at the edge of montane forests, in open woodlands, and clearings; often accompanies mixed-species flocks. Listen for its calm “tsip-cheep” song.
Taxonomy
The bay-chested warbling finch was formally described in 1835 by the Finnish naturalist Alexander von Nordmann from a specimen collected in Brazil. He coined the binomial name Frigilla thoracica. This species was traditionally placed in the genus Poospiza. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that the genus was polyphyletic. In the subsequent reorganisation the bay-chested warbling finch was moved to its own newly erected genus Castanozoster. The name combines the Ancient Greek καστανό meaning "chestnut" with ζωστήρ meaning "belt". The bay-chested warbling finch is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Castanozoster thoracicus
- Authority
- (Nordmann, 1835)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Zosteropidae
- Genus
- Castanozoster
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Sierran Elaenia
Elaenia pallatangae
Confusing flycatcher of montane forest. It has olive-gray upperparts, pale yellow underparts, white wingbars, and a small crest that is usually held flat. When crest is raised, it may show some white. Very similar to White-crested Elaenia, but usually brighter yellow on the belly and may show a more conspicuous eyering. Birds in worn plumage may not be identifiable with certainty. Its most common vocalizations, which include clear whistles and burry calls, are similar to those of other elaenias.
Oriental Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus orientalis
In breeding range, this large, long-billed songster of expansive reedbeds can often be seen perched on top of a stalk belting its heart out, but on wintering grounds, it is more likely to be detected by a harsh, grating rattling from deep within the vegetation. Unremarkably plumaged, brown above, paler below, with a weak white supercilium and a short bristly crest, occasionally raised. Compare with other large reed warblers, especially Clamorous Reed Warbler.
Crimson Finch
Neochmia phaeton
Elegant, long-tailed finch, adult male brown above, intense crimson below, with a cherry-red face and small pale spots on the side of the chest. Birds in New Guinea and Cape York with white belly, those elsewhere in Australia with black. Female duller, with only red face. Juvenile mostly brownish with dark bill but note long tail. Star Finch has shorter tail, greener plumage. Inhabits tall grass areas, especially with Pandanus (palm-like tree with leaves attached in a corkscrew pattern).
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