The Choco brushfinch or Choco brush finch is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
Region
Chocó bioregion of western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador
Typical Environment
This species inhabits humid foothill and lower montane forests on the Pacific (Chocó) slope of the Andes. It favors dense understory, forest edges, second growth, and bamboo thickets, where it moves quietly through tangles and leaf litter. It also uses partially degraded forest and shrubby regrowth near streams and landslides, but generally avoids open farmland. Birds are most often encountered in protected cloud forest and adjacent disturbed habitats where cover remains dense.
Altitude Range
400–2200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Chocó brushfinch is a skulking understory sparrow of humid foothill and montane forests on the Pacific slope of the Andes in Colombia and Ecuador. It forages low in dense vegetation and is often detected by its sharp chips before being seen. Some authorities formerly treated it as conspecific with Tricolored Brushfinch, but vocal and plumage differences support its treatment as a distinct species.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through dense understory
Social Behavior
Usually found singly, in pairs, or small family groups, and sometimes joins mixed-species flocks moving through the understory. Nests are placed low in dense vegetation, where both sexes participate in territory defense. Breeding territories are maintained year-round in suitable habitat.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, sweet whistles interspersed with thin seet notes, often delivered from a concealed perch. Calls include sharp chips and soft tsik notes used to keep contact in dense cover.
