About Atlapetes albofrenatus (Boissonneau, 1840)
The moustached brushfinch, with the scientific name Atlapetes albofrenatus (Boissonneau, 1840), is a large-headed, long-tailed New World sparrow, similar to most other species in the Atlapetes genus. Adult moustached brushfinches measure between 17.5 and 18 centimeters in length and weigh approximately 30 grams. Their upper parts are mostly olive green, with their primaries and tail colored black with an olive tinge. Their breast, belly and vent are deep yellow, while their flanks are yellow with a greenish wash. This species has a distinctive striking head pattern: a bright chestnut-rufous cap and nape, a black forehead, and a full black mask that extends from the lores to the nape. The throat and malar stripes are white, and these white areas are separated by black submalars. In some positions, the white malar stripe can be observed extending almost to the nape. Adults have black bills, red or reddish brown irises, and tarsi and toes that are brownish grey or pinkish grey. Juvenile moustached brushfinches are brownish olive on their upper parts, and dusky olive yellowish with faint streaking on their under parts. Their moustachial area is dull yellow with a weakly formed malar stripe. The mask and sides of the head are a duller blackish or dusky color, and the crown is olive to brownish olive, rather than chestnut. When compared to the similar merida brushfinch found in Venezuela, the moustached brushfinch can be distinguished by several plumage differences: the merida brushfinch has a yellow throat, a lighter cinnamon-rufous crown, a broader white malar stripe with a narrow black submalar, and a much narrower area of black on the forehead. The moustached brushfinch is endemic to the Eastern Andes of Colombia. Its range stretches from just south of Bogotá to Santander. Within its overall range, the species is found in several separate disjunct areas rather than being continuously and widely distributed. It occurs in the upper tropical and subtropical zones, typically at altitudes between 1400 and 2500 meters, though it has also been observed as low as 1000 meters. This is a resident non-migratory species. It inhabits the borders, undergrowth and midstory of thick subtropical cloud forest, elfin forest, and oak-dominated forest, as well as tangles of dry, thorny, scrubby brush. It is tolerant of disturbed habitats, and can also be found in dense foliage along the borders of regenerating secondary forest. In terms of behavior, moustached brushfinches usually move quickly through dense brush tangles, and occasionally move to more exposed areas. They have been observed foraging mostly within 10 meters of the ground, moving as single birds, in pairs, or in groups that appear to be small family units. Their diet consists of insects, seeds and fruit. The breeding behavior of this species has not been formally studied. The only relevant recorded observation is of an immature bird spotted near Soatá in January, which suggests that breeding occurs in the December to January period.
