The little Inca finch is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is endemic to Peru where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Region
Northwestern Peru
Typical Environment
Occurs in arid and semi-arid shrublands, especially on rocky slopes, dry valleys, and foothills with thorn scrub and scattered cacti. It favors areas with dense low cover such as Prosopis (algarrobo) thickets and hedgerows along dry gulches. Birds typically stay close to the ground, moving through leaf litter and low branches. It is patchily distributed where suitable dry scrub persists and avoids humid montane forests and cultivated fields with little native cover.
Altitude Range
200–1600 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Little Inca Finch is a ground-foraging tanager that lives in dry shrublands of northwestern Peru. It often keeps low in thorny scrub and cacti, darting between cover with short, rapid flights. Habitat loss from agricultural expansion and scrub clearing is the primary threat to its localized populations.
Temperament
skulking and cautious
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low to the ground
Social Behavior
Usually found singly, in pairs, or small family groups. Nests are thought to be placed low in dense scrub, where both parents tend young. Territories are maintained in suitable patches of thorny vegetation.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, tinkling series of notes and short trills delivered from within cover or a low perch. Calls include thin, high-pitched chips and a sharper scold when alarmed.
Plumage
Compact, finch-like bird with a grayish head and nape, rufous-brown upperparts, and buffy underparts. A clean white throat is bordered by a distinct dark moustachial stripe, and the wings and tail show warm rufous tones. The overall look is softly colored with strong facial contrast.
Diet
Takes small seeds from grasses and shrubs and supplements with arthropods such as beetles, ants, and caterpillars. Forages by hopping on the ground and gleaning low foliage, often probing leaf litter. During the dry season, it relies more on hardy seeds and occasionally small berries.
Preferred Environment
Feeds along edges of thorn scrub, among cacti, and in weedy patches near rocky washes. Often stays under dense cover, emerging briefly to pick at seed heads or catch small insects.
