The rusty-browed warbling finch is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Region
Southern Andean Yungas
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane and cloud forests of northwestern Argentina and adjacent Bolivia. Prefers dense understory, especially along forest edges, ravines, and in bamboo (Chusquea) thickets. Also uses second-growth forest, shrubby clearings, and roadside tangles near intact forest. Typically keeps to lower and mid-levels of the vegetation, rarely venturing into open areas.
Altitude Range
900–2800 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small Andean tanager is named for its rich rusty eyebrow, a standout field mark in shaded montane forests. It often joins mixed-species flocks in the undergrowth and forest edge, moving quietly while giving soft chips. Its song is a sweet, warbling series of whistles. Though tied to humid forest, it tolerates second growth and bamboo thickets.
Temperament
shy and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Often travels in pairs or small family groups and readily joins mixed-species flocks moving through the understory. Nests are typically placed low in dense vegetation. Breeding pairs maintain small territories but may tolerate neighbors at the edges. Foraging is methodical, with frequent pauses to glean from leaves and stems.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A pleasant, musical warble of clear whistles and trills delivered from low perches inside the forest. Calls are soft chips and tsit notes used to keep contact within flocks.
Plumage
Compact finch-like passerine with a slate-gray head contrasting with olive-brown to brown upperparts and paler grayish underparts. The most distinctive feature is a bold rusty supercilium over the eye. Wings and tail are brown with subtle edging; overall pattern is clean rather than heavily streaked.
Diet
Takes a mix of small seeds, berries, and arthropods such as beetles, caterpillars, and spiders. Gleans methodically from leaves, stems, and bamboo culms, and will pick fallen seeds from the ground. During the breeding season it increases insect intake; in cooler months it relies more on seeds and small fruits. Frequently forages alongside other small insectivores and tanagers in mixed flocks.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense understory and bamboo patches within humid montane forest and along edges. Also uses second growth, shrubby clearings, and overgrown trails where cover is close at hand.
