Sierra finch measuring 15–17 cm, variable according to region and subspecies. The male shows a bluish-gray hood, olive or olive-ochraceous back, yellowish chest, and an extensive white belly and undertail. Wings are blackish with slate-gray coverts. The female is duller, with a white, finely streaked throat, olive back, less-defined gray hood, and yellowish underparts with a whitish center. The bill is bicolored with a dark culmen. Juveniles are paler, with more marked eyebrow and malar lines and cinnamon wing bars.
Similar species: • Black-hooded Sierra Finch (P. atriceps): male unmistakable due to its black hood and wings; females are more tawny and show less white on the belly. • Patagonian Sierra Finch (P. patagonicus): major source of confusion in the south; males have a rusty-ochre back and less white on the belly; females are yellower and have a less-streaked throat. Generally closer to forested habitats. • Hooded Siskin (Rauenia bonariensis): males are more golden with dark lores and a bluish hood, and lack a white belly. Common in lower elevations.
Subspecies: gayi (northern and central Andes): Found in Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca, La Rioja, and San Juan. Male with bluish-gray hood and olive-ochre back. Female grayish-olive with streaked throat. caniceps (Patagonia): Found in Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego. Male similar but generally larger, slightly less yellow on the chest, and with more extensive white on the belly. Female with more marked facial pattern. Sympatric with the Patagonian Sierra Finch.
Geographical distribution: Almost restricted to Argentina and Chile. Broad distribution in Argentina, from Jujuy to Tierra del Fuego, inhabiting Andean foothills, shrubby ravines, high Andean steppes, Monte shrublands, and Patagonian steppe. In the north it is always found at high elevations; in the south it also occurs in lowlands and open steppe. Shows altitudinal migration in the northwest and slight latitudinal movements in Patagonia. Elevational range 0–3500 m, reaching over 4,000 m in the northwest. In the north it undergoes altitudinal movements, descending to lower ravines in winter. In southern Patagonia individuals move north and east during the non-breeding season.
Habitat: Dry ravine shrublands, shrub steppe, Monte scrub, Patagonian grasslands, edges of low forests, rocky ground, and open areas with stones and cacti. In winter it may use more wooded or urbanized areas.
Behavior: Very confiding. Moves in pairs or small groups, joining mixed flocks in winter. Makes short flights and often perches on rocks, walls, or fences. Its song is a series of metallic, brief, melodic notes. Sings from rocks, shrubs, and posts.
Diet: Mainly seeds, shoots, and arthropods. Complements diet with fruits and nectar. Highly adapted to human environments, where it feeds on crumbs and scraps. Forages on rocky ground and among shrubs, and in winter also in trees.
Breeding: Cup-shaped nest in dense shrubs, rocks, or human structures, built with grasses, roots, stems, and lined with wool and hair. Usual clutch of 2–4 pale green eggs with fine speckles.
Conservation status: Species not considered threatened. Common and widely distributed.
Authors of this compilation: Diego Carus and Maria Belén Dri – 06/12/2025