Great Inca-Finch Incaspiza pulchra Scientific name definitions

The Great Inca-finch is a large, colorful finch-like tanager of western Peru.  Restricted to western Andean slopes between 1500 and 2100 meters in elevation, this species is often found in dry, hot, slopes and canyons near succulent vegetation.  It is mostly brown above and gray below with gray and rufous wings, a black chin, black loral patch, brown crown, and yellowish bill and legs.  Additionally, its tail is black with white outer feathers.  Great Inca-finch is easily found early in the morning when it perches up on top of vegetation; later in the day it becomes much less obvious and is more difficult to locate.

16·5 cm; 25·5–32 g. A rather long-tailed finch with slim, pointed bill. Has grey head , browner on crown and nape, with blackish lores , eyeline and narrow line over base of bill (not extending to forehead), narrow whitish-grey supercilium above this mask; upperparts brownish, scapulars rufous , lower back to uppertail-coverts dull brown; tail black with white outer edges; upperwing largely rufous, browner inner half of tertials, grey lesser upperwing-coverts (often hidden by body feathers or scapulars); mask connects with black on throat to upper breast, rest of breast grey, flanks buffy grey, belly and vent off-white; iris dark brown; bill and legs orange-yellow. Differs from I. personata in smaller size, browner back, with less black on face, more black on throat, and greyer breast. Sexes similar in pattern, the female browner on crown and somewhat duller. Immature is duller than adult, lacks black on face and throat, is streaked above and below, bill dull yellow with dark culmen, legs dull yellow.

W slope of Andes (in Ancash and Lima, locally also La Libertad (3 Núñez-Zapata, J. and Tiravanti, J.A. (2012). Extensión del rango de distribución norte de dos aves endémicas de Perú: Pseudasthenes cactorum e Incaspiza pulchra. Cotinga 34: 87–90. In Spanish with English summary. Close ) ), in W Peru.

Arid slopes and ravines with large cacti (of genus Melocactus) and/or ground bromeliads. At 1000–2700 m, mostly above 1500 m.

Feeds on fruits of Melocactus cacti. Forages on ground , with tail held cocked. Generally alone or in pairs; in non-breeding season in groups of up to seven individuals.

Song a series of high, thin whistles, “tsew tseee? tsew tswee?”. Call a single “tsew” or “tsee”; also a short, quavering descending note, “tsee’le’le’le’le”.

Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Peruvian High Andes EBA. Uncommon and local; reported as common in Ancash. In Aug 2008 recorded at Cerro Campana, Trujillo, La Libertad department, c. 190 km north of previously known range limit (4 Núñez-Zapata, J. and Tiravanti, J.A. (2012). Extensión del rango de distribución norte de dos aves endémicas de Perú: Pseudasthenes cactorum e Incaspiza pulchra. Cotinga. 34 online: 1–4. Close ). No known threats.