A small Yungas mountain finch measuring approximately 14 cm in length, displaying cinnamon and gray tones. It features a cinnamon-colored lorum, broad supercilium, patch below the eye, throat, breast, and flanks, while the belly is paler and the undertail coverts are cinnamon-colored. The crown and cheeks are grayish and contrast with the grayish-brown back. The wings are dark and show a conspicuous white wing bar and a broad white wing panel. The tail is long and dark gray, with the outer rectrices partially white. It has a dark brown iris, a somewhat conical grayish bill with a darker culmen, and dark legs. The female resembles the male but is generally duller. Juveniles show browner and less contrasting plumage. It may resemble the Cinnamon Warbling Finch (Poospiza ornata), a species that may approach Yungas habitats during winter. However, the Rusty-browed Warbling Finch shows a much stronger contrast between the gray head and the rufous-chestnut eyebrow, in addition to a more conspicuous white wing panel and a less uniform overall coloration. It also differs from the Black-and-rufous Warbling Finch (Poospiza baeri) by its smaller size, warmer coloration, and the presence of extensive white markings on the wings.
Geographic Distribution: It is distributed along the eastern Andes of central and southern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina, where it inhabits the Yungas of Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, and Catamarca. There are also records from the mountain environments of the Velasco Range in La Rioja Province. It is found mainly between 1,200 and 2,900 m above sea level, although during winter it may descend seasonally to approximately 900 m above sea level.
Habitat: This species is characteristic of the montane forests of the Yungas. It is especially associated with alder forests, forest edges, humid ravines, areas of secondary vegetation, and clearings within montane rainforest. It may also occur in high-elevation shrublands and other mountain habitats with abundant vegetation cover. It primarily uses the middle and lower vegetation strata, moving among trees, shrubs, and dense thickets.
Diet: It has a varied diet composed of seeds, fruits, and invertebrates. It forages mainly among the foliage of trees and low shrubs, where it collects insects from leaves and branches. It usually feeds in pairs and, during winter, mainly in small groups or as part of mixed-species flocks.
Behavior: It is an active and restless species that moves constantly through vegetation. Outside the breeding season, it often forms small groups. Its song consists of a melodious sequence of three or four notes repeated regularly, while its calls are short and high-pitched.
Nesting: It builds a semi-spherical nest made of lichens, plant fibers, and similar materials, positioned at medium height within dense vegetation. The clutch consists of three to four bluish-white eggs marked with brown and blackish spots, usually concentrated toward the broader end.
Conservation Status: Classified as Least Concern (LC) at the international level. In Argentina, it also does not hold any national threat category. It may be locally common in suitable Yungas habitats, and there are currently no significant known threats to its populations. Its distribution is closely linked to the conservation of montane forests and cloud forests of northwestern Argentina.
Author of this compilation: María Belén Dri y Diego Carús – 19/06/2026