The Antioquia brushfinch (''Atlapetes blancae'') is a poorly known species of bird from the family
Passerellidae. It was scientifically
described in 2007 on basis of three museum specimens from
Antioquia,
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
, which were previously labelled as
slaty brushfinch
The slaty brushfinch (''Atlapetes schistaceus'') is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae. It is found in humid Andean forests from western Venezuela, through Colombia, to Ecuador, with a disjunct population in central Peru. The latter i ...
es (''Atlapetus schistaceus''). The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''blancae'' refers to the whitish underparts of the new species, while also commemorating the Colombian
lepidopterologist
Lepidopterology ()) is a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies. Someone who studies in this field is a lepidopterist or, archaically, an aurelian.
Origins
Post-Renaissance, t ...
, the wife of ornithologist
Thomas M. Donegan (who described the species). All three museum skins were collected in the 20th century, but only one label has a date, which is given as 1971. Subsequent fieldwork in Antioquia has failed to find this species again. The species description has been approved by the
South American Classification Committee. It has been recommended for a
critically endangered status.
Rediscovery
In January 2018, a Colombian resident of
San Pedro de los Milagros noticed this bird on his way to Sunday mass. Since then, 4 subpopulations have been rediscovered, with at least 20 individuals between them. The bird had been previously overlooked despite living relatively close to the city of
Medellín
Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
, which is home to 3.7 million people. Since then, the
American Bird Conservancy has adopted a stance of optimism, stating that “Colombian researchers now know what kind of habitat to search and are continuing to find more birds. This brushfinch species is persisting in fairly small patches of low scrub close to people. Opportunities to protect remaining habitat patches as new reserves and to quickly restore working lands using silvipasture techniques
ombining trees, forage, and livestockhold great potential to benefit this species, but action must be taken quickly".
References
External links
Conservationists concerned for new bird speciesNueva especie de Gorrion Colombiano en Peligro de ExtincionNew Bird Species Recognised in Colombia, May Already be Extinct
{{Taxonbar, from=Q580894
Atlapetes
Endemic birds of Colombia
Critically endangered animals
Critically endangered biota of South America
Birds described in 2007