Another winter visitor besides the dark-faced ground-tyrant and buff-winged cinclodes
Eating with a group of rufous-collared sparrow in the recreation area at the Meeting Point
Eating with a group of rufous-collared sparrow in the recreation area at the Meeting Point
With golden-billed saltator on the right
With rufous-collared sparrow behind
Winter visitor. Seen at the nursery
Winter visitor. Seen at Canal Sudeste
Winter visitor. Seen at Canal Sudeste
Winter visitor. Seen at Canal Sudeste
Julián, a birdwatcher from Berisso, photographed this female mourning sierra-finch during his walk around Costanera. This sierra-finch comes here in winter.
Julián, a birdwatcher from Berisso, photographed this female mourning sierra-finch during his walk around Costanera. This sierra-finch comes here in winter.
Julián, a birdwatcher from Berisso, photographed this female mourning sierra-finch during his walk around Costanera. This sierra-finch comes here in winter.
Feeding
This Sierra-Finch lives in Patagonia and along the Andes. During the winter these southern birds move to the north reaching Buenos Aires. It was last seen some years ago. And funny enough only females have been registered at Costanera. Wrongly classified as a female Germán Pugnali explains the morphological and behavioural aspects that account for a juvenile male. "The plumage of this individual is mainly grey and black in the lower belly and lacks the female's typically speckled flanks. The cinnamon colour of the cheeks is darker. The individual still has light lines on both sides of the throat, which seems to be getting darker downwards. This is the typical "fresh" plumage of males, in which the black colour becomes even darker as feathers wear off. Besides, there are black areas on the rest of the face from the bill base to the loral area. Males' bill is yellow in the breeding season, but darker outside this time. This may be because it is still young. And last but not least... it is singing beautifully! This is typical among oscine passerines during the breeding season, perched on a branch and claiming territory!