The glacier finch (''Idiopsar speculifer''), also known as the white-winged diuca finch and glacier bird, is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

in the tanager family

Thraupidae The tanagers (singular ) comprise the bird family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12% of the Neotropica ...

. It is found in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

and far northern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

is subtropical or tropical high-altitude

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

, where it favours wet boggy ground. It is one of the few birds that have been recorded as nesting in high altitude

glaciers A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

, hence its alternative name "the glacier bird". The nest is a bulky structure in the form of a cup, made of grass, twigs and feathers: it can weigh up to half a pound, and may be laid directly on the ice. Two eggs are laid in April or May; the young leave the nest in June or July.

References

External links

Xeno-canto: audio recordings of the white-winged diuca finch"14-Year-Old Helps Dad Solve Avian Mystery"
MSNBC, November 27, 2008, retrieved July 20, 2014

glacier finch The glacier finch (''Idiopsar speculifer''), also known as the white-winged diuca finch and glacier bird, is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in Peru, Bolivia and far northern Chile and Argentina. Its natural habi ...

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN {{Thraupidae-stub