The slaty brushfinch is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae. It is found in humid Andean forests from western Venezuela, through Colombia, to Ecuador. Taczanowski's brushfinch of central Peru was formerly treated as a subspecies. Furthermore, the Cuzco brushfinch from south-eastern Peru is sometimes considered a subspecies of the slaty brush finch.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs from western Venezuela through Colombia to Ecuador in humid montane forests, forest edges, and secondary growth. It favors dense, tangled understory, especially Chusquea bamboo thickets, and often stays close to the ground. The species uses forest gaps and edges created by natural disturbances and can persist in selectively logged areas if understory cover remains. It is typically absent from dry or heavily fragmented open habitats.
Altitude Range
1500–3500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A skulking brushfinch of humid Andean cloud forests, it keeps to dense understory and bamboo tangles where it forages close to the ground. Taczanowski's brushfinch (central Peru) was formerly treated as a subspecies, and the Cuzco brushfinch (southeastern Peru) is sometimes considered conspecific. It often travels in pairs or family groups and may join mixed-species flocks along forest edges.
Temperament
secretive and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through understory
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs or small family groups, maintaining territories year-round. Nests are placed low in dense vegetation; both parents participate in caring for young. Frequently accompanies mixed-species flocks along edges and in second growth.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of thin, sweet whistles and soft trills delivered from concealed perches. Calls include sharp chips and tsip notes used to keep contact with mates in dense cover.
Plumage
Mostly uniform slaty-gray with slightly darker face and cheeks; plumage appears smooth and matte in low light. Throat may be a shade paler than the breast, and underparts are evenly gray without strong streaking.
Diet
Takes a mix of small arthropods, larvae, and spiders gleaned from leaves and leaf litter. Also consumes berries and small fruits, especially when insect prey is less abundant. Foraging is methodical, with frequent pauses to probe clumps of bamboo and dense shrubs.
Preferred Environment
Feeds near the ground in dense understory, bamboo stands, and along shaded forest edges and trails. Will use secondary growth and overgrown clearings that retain thick cover.
