The bright-rumped yellow finch is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in the Puna grassland: Peru, Bolivia and northern Chile and Argentina. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland and heavily degraded former forest.
Region
Central Andes
Typical Environment
Occurs across the high Puna grasslands of southern Peru, western Bolivia, northern Chile, and northwestern Argentina. It favors open, tussocky grasslands with scattered rocks, bofedales (high Andean wetlands), and edges of Polylepis or scrub. The species also uses anthropogenic habitats such as pastures, roadside edges, and village outskirts. It is well adapted to thin air and large daily temperature swings typical of the high Andes.
Altitude Range
3000–4800 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
This small Andean finch is named for its conspicuously bright yellow rump, which flashes in flight and helps distinguish it from other yellow-finches. It thrives in the open, windswept Puna grasslands and often forms small flocks, sometimes associating with other seedeaters. During the breeding season it supplements a mainly seed-based diet with insects. It readily uses rock crevices and human structures for nesting in high-altitude settlements.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bounding, undulating flight
Social Behavior
Often seen in small flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixed with other seed-eating passerines. Pairs form in the breeding season and defend small territories around nest sites. Nests are typically placed in rock crevices, walls, or building nooks, constructed as small cups of grass and fibers. Both parents participate in chick rearing.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a bright, tinkling series of trills and twitters delivered from low perches or during short display flights. Calls are high, thin chips used to keep contact within flocks. Vocalizations carry well in open, windy grasslands.
