The pale-headed brushfinch (''Atlapetes pallidiceps'') 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 family

Passerellidae New World sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming the family Passerellidae. They are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns. Although they share t ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to arid areas with low scrub at altitudes of in south-central

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and the nest-parasitic

shiny cowbird The shiny cowbird (''Molothrus bonariensis'') is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds in most of South America except for dense forests and areas of high altitude such as mountains. Since 1900 the shiny cowbird's range h ...

. Most of its tiny known range, estimated at only 1 km² by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

, is within the Yunguilla reserve, which, following the rediscovery of this species in 1998, was set up by the Jocotoco Foundation. Following intensive management, including the removal of cowbirds, the population of the pale-headed brushfinch is currently increasing. Further increase, however, may be limited by a lack of suitable habitat.

References

* Oppel, S., Schaefer, H., Schmidt, V., and Schröderm B. (2004). ''Cowbird parasitism of Pale-headed Brush Finch ''Atlapetes pallidiceps'': implications for conservation and management.'' Bird Conservation International 14: 63–75. * Agreda, A., Krabbe, N. & Rodríguez, O. (1999). ''Pale-headed Brush Finch ''Atlapetes pallidiceps'' is not extinct''. Cotinga 11: 50–54.

External links

BirdLife International species factsheet
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2668298 pale-headed brush finch Birds of the Ecuadorian Andes Endemic birds of Ecuador pale-headed brush finch Taxonomy articles created by Polbot