Black-headed Brushfinch

About the Black-headed Brushfinch

The black-headed brushfinch (Arremon atricapillus) is a species of bird in the family Emberizidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in Colombia and Panama. The black-headed brushfinch has a complicated taxonomic history. It was formally described in 1874 with the binomial Buarremon atricapillus. The genus Buarremon was later merged into genus Atlapetes. Further study resulted in Buarremon's being resurrected. Buarremon atricapillus was later reassigned as one of many subspecies of what was then the "stripe-headed brushfinch" (Buarremon torquatus). In 2008 taxonomists began merging Buarremon into Arremon. Following a study published in 2010 and some earlier studies, taxonomists began splitting the "stripe-headed brushfinch" into eight species, one of which was the black-headed brushfinch.

The black-headed brushfinch has two subspecies, the nominate A. a. atricapillus (Lawrence, 1874) and A. a. tacarcunae (Chapman, 1923). The black-headed brushfinch is about 19 cm (7.5 in) long and weighs about 49.5 g (1.7 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have an almost entirely black head with a white throat. Their upperparts, wings, and... Wikipedia →