Birds of Ecuador

○ ← PASSERIFORMES: Thraupidae (Tanagers & Allies) →

Genus: Phrygilus (3 species, 11 worldwide)

Genus Phrygilus (typical Sierra Finches) are sometimes colorful tanagers with sturdy finch bills, and are found in open areas at high altitudes in the Andes.


Band-tailed Sierra Finch (Phrygilus alaudinus) Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador
Photograph by Carlos Henrique Copyright and usage info This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0 License. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the work, and to adapt the work under the following conditions: You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work) If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.


Band-tailed Sierra Finch (Phrygilus alaudinus bipartitus) Male San Antonio de Pichincha, Pichincha province, Ecuador
Photograph by Tropical Birding (Nick Athanas) © All Rights Reserved.


Ash-breasted Sierra Finch (Phrygilus plebejus plebejus) Male Colca Canyon, Peru
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.


Ash-breasted Sierra Finch (Phrygilus plebejus) Female Chivay, Peru On female note unstreaked throat.
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.

Note small size and small thin bill.


Plumbeous Sierra Finch (Phrygilus unicolor geospizopsis) Male PNN Los Nevados, Colombia
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.


Plumbeous Sierra Finch (Phrygilus unicolor geospizopsis) Female Cajas National Park, Ecuador
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.


Plumbeous Sierra Finch (Phrygilus unicolor geospizopsis) Immature Sumapaz National Park, Colombia The immature is browner than the female.
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.

Often the most common widespread Sierra Finch, and often the one found at the highest altitudes. The 'inca' subspecies from Peru to Bolivia is 'monomorpic' meaning the male and female are very similar. However the immature is very streaked like the immature and female from other races.

© Tom Friedel - All Rights Reserved, except for images and data otherwise noted.       Colombia       Panama       Ecuador       Costa Rica       Mexico
Experimental sites:       Peru       Venezuela       The World       Brazil       Bolivia
Really Experimental sites:       Guyana       Nicaragua       Cuba