The white-winged brushfinch is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae.
Region
Northwestern South America (southwestern Ecuador to northwestern Peru)
Typical Environment
Occurs on the Pacific slope foothills and lower montane zones of the western Andes in the Tumbesian region. It favors dense brush, dry to semi-humid forest edges, second growth, and scrubby ravines. The species adapts to disturbed habitats, including hedgerows and overgrown coffee or agroforestry plots. It typically stays close to cover, moving in and out of thickets while foraging.
Altitude Range
200–2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A brushfinch of the New World sparrow family (Passerellidae), the white-winged brushfinch is notable for its bold white wing patch, which flashes in flight. It keeps to dense thickets and forest edges, making it easier to hear than to see. This species is chiefly found in the Tumbesian region of southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru. It often forages in pairs or small family groups near the ground.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between thickets
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups, staying close to dense cover. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low in shrubs or tangles; both parents participate in rearing. It occasionally joins mixed-species flocks along forest edges.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of clear, whistled phrases interspersed with sharp chip notes. Contact calls are metallic and carry well through scrub. Song is delivered from concealed perches within dense vegetation.
Plumage
Olive-brown upperparts with a grayish head and breast, paler buffy underparts, and a conspicuous white wing patch formed by the wing coverts. Wings and tail are darker, contrasting with the white in the wing; subtle pale supercilium may be present.
Diet
Feeds on small arthropods gleaned from leaves and twigs, as well as seeds and small berries. It forages methodically near the ground and in low shrubs, often probing leaf litter and vine tangles. During the dry season, fruits and seeds may make up a larger portion of the diet, while insects are taken more frequently during breeding.
Preferred Environment
Dense brush, forest edges, second growth, and scrubby ravines where cover is abundant. It will also use overgrown agricultural margins and hedgerows with thickets.
