Family Tanagers (Thraupidae)

Vulnerable

Black-masked Finch (Coryphaspiza melanotis)

Taxonomy

French: Coryphaspize à joues noires German: Schwarzkopftangare Spanish: Cachilo enmascarado

Taxonomy:

Emberizoides melanotis

Temminck

, 1822,

Ipanema, São Paulo, Brazil

Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution

C. m. marajoara Sick, 1967 – Marajó I (mouth of R Amazon in Pará), in N Brazil.

C. m. melanotis (Temminck, 1822) – extreme SE Peru (Madre de Dios), E Bolivia (La Paz and Beni), C & EC Brazil (S Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and NE Paraná E to Minas Gerais and São Paulo), E Paraguay, and NE Argentina (Corrientes).

Records from Rio Grande do Norte#R (Brazil) have not been identified to subspecies.

Descriptive notes

13·5 cm; 15·6–15·8 g. A relatively thickset finch, with rather long and graduated tail, stout thick-based bill with gently curved culmen. Nominate race somewhat variable,... read more

Voice

Song high-pitched and insect-like, a set of paired notes so closely spaced as to sound like one... read more

Habitat

Tall-grass habitats with scattered low shrubs; requires relatively open grassland, and is absent if... read more

Food and feeding

No information on diet. Foraging on ground under tall grass; sometimes forages in more open areas at edge of grassland or on bare earth.... read more

Breeding

No information. Season probably Sept–Dec.

Movements

Resident.

Status and conservation

VULNERABLE. Uncommon to rare, and very local, and decreasing. Known from three disjunct regions: cerrado of S Brazil, SE Peru, E Bolivia, E Paraguay and N Argentina... read more

Bibliography

Public comments

Recommended citation

Jaramillo, A. & Sharpe, C.J. (2019). Black-masked Finch (Coryphaspiza melanotis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/62094 on 19 May 2019).

Scientific classification

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Thraupidae

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In past, included in a much broader Emberizidae. Probably sister to Cardinalidae, with these two perhaps sister to Mitrospingidae#R #R #R #R. Family limits and internal structure extensively revised in recent years on basis of numerous genetic studies#R #R #R #R #R #R. These have led to subdivision into 15 subfamilies, as well as numerous other notable changes (as compared to HBW) including: relocation herein of Parkerthraustes and Saltator from Cardinalidae, and of Charitospiza, Coryphaspiza, Embernagra, Emberizoides, Incaspiza, Porphyrospiza, Tiaris, Euneornis, Loxipasser, Loxigilla, Melanospiza, Certhidea, Platyspiza, Pinaroloxias, Geospiza, Volatinia, Coryphospingus, Rhodospingus, Sporophila, Piezorina, Xenospingus, Poospiza, Donacospiza, Sicalis, Phrygilus, Nesospiza, Rowettia, Melanodera, Haplospiza, Acanthidops, Idiopsar, Catamenia, Lophospingus, Diuca, Gubernatrix and Paroaria from Emberizidae (=Passerellidae); and also removal of Chlorophonia and Euphonia to Fringillidae, of Rhodinocichla to Rhodinocichlidae, of Chlorospingus to Passerellidae, of Phaenicophilus to Phaenicophilidae, of Spindalis to Spindalidae, of Nesospingus to Nesospingidae, of Calyptophilus to Calyptophilidae, of Lamprospiza, Mitrospingus and Orthogonys to Mitrospingidae, and of Habia, Chlorothraupis and Piranga to Cardinalidae. Generic limits within family also extensively revised, and associated sequence of species followed herein#R.

Subfamily: Emberizoidinae

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New subfamily (“grassland tanagers”) based on molecular study; may be sister to Saltatorinae#R.

Genus: Coryphaspiza G. R. Gray, 1840

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Molecular study#R confirms comment in HBW that aspects of plumage, tail shape, juvenile plumage and song suggest close relationship to Embernagra and Emberizoides.

See full taxonomic structure and notes

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