The Sierra Nevada brushfinch (''Arremon basilicus'') 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 lives in the undergrowth of humid forests, especially near the edges, at altitudes of in the

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (English: ''Snow-Covered Mountain Range of Saint Martha'') is an isolated mountain range in northern Colombia, separate from the Andes range that runs through the north of the country. Reaching an elevation of ...

in northern Colombia.Ridgely, R. S., & J. A. Gwynne, Jr. (1989). ''A Guide to the Birds of Panama with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras.'' 2nd edition. Princeton University Press. Restall, R. L., C. Rodner, & M. Lentino (2006). ''Birds of Northern South America.'' Christopher Helm. (vol. 1). (vol. 2).

Taxonomy

The Sierra Nevada brushfinch was often treated as a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the stripe-headed brushfinch (''A. torquatus''), but was determined a distinct species on the basis of differences in vocalization, plumage, and genetics.Cadena, C. D., and A. M. Cuervo (2009). ''Molecules, ecology, morphology, and songs in concert: how many species is Arremon torquatus (Aves: Emberizidae)?'' Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 99(1): 152-176 The SACC split the group in 2010.

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q7511521 Sierra Nevada brushfinch Birds of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Endemic birds of Colombia Sierra Nevada brushfinch Sierra Nevada brushfinch