Grey-winged Inca Finch

Overview

The grey-winged Inca finch (Incaspiza ortizi) is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae, endemic to Peru. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a population estimated between 2,500 and 10,000 mature individuals.

Identification

• Size: 16.5 cm long, weighing 29 to 38 g.
• Plumage: Adult males have a mostly grey head with a brown nape cast, a dark triangular mask and throat, and a greyish-brown upper back; females resemble males but with less facial black and cloudier breast.
• Bill and Legs: Features a slim, pointed, bright yellow bill and orange-yellow legs and feet.
• Tail: Black tail with white edges on the outer feathers.
• Song: A series of weak, quavering, high whistles described as "seeew sweeee? seeee? seeew sueeesu...".

Habitat

Inhabits thick desert scrublands with cacti and terrestrial bromeliads, as well as open Acacia woodlands with similar vegetation. Its range is primarily on the western side of the central Marañón River valley, extending from far eastern Piura Department south through Cajamarca, with an elevational range roughly between 1,800 m and 2,600 m.

Diet

Feeds on seeds, other plant matter, and insects. It typically forages on or slightly above the ground, usually within cover, and is often observed singly or in pairs.

Did you know?

The species was originally placed in the finch family Fringillidae but was moved to the tanager family Thraupidae following a 2014 molecular phylogenetic study. Its common name's scientific binomial honours Javier Ortiz de la Puente, who collected the type specimen described in 1952.