The black-headed brushfinch (Arremon atricapillus) is a species of bird in the family Emberizidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in Colombia and Panama.

Taxonomy and systematics

The black-headed brushfinch has a complicated taxonomic history. It was formally described in 1874 with the binomial Buarremon atricapillus. The genus Buarremon was later merged into genus Atlapetes. Further study resulted in Buarremons being resurrected.Cadena, C. D., J. Klicka and R. E. Ricklefs. (2007). "Evolutionary differentiation in the Neotropical montane region: molecular phylogenetics and phylogeography of Buarremon brush-finches (Aves, Emberizidae)." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 44(3): 993-1016. Buarremon atricapillus was later reassigned as one of many subspecies of what was then the "stripe-headed brushfinch" (Buarremon torquatus). In 2008 taxonomists began merging Buarremon into Arremon.Richard C. Banks, R. Terry Chesser, Carla Cicero, Jon L. Dunn, Andrew W. Kratter, Irby J. Lovette, Pamela C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Jr., James D. Rising, Douglas F. Stotz, and Kevin Winker. "Forty-ninth supplement to the American Ornithological Society s Check-list of North American Birds". The Auk 2008, vol. 125:758-768 retrieved January 27, 2023 Following a study published in 2010 and some earlier studies, taxonomists began splitting the "stripe-headed brushfinch" into eight species, one of which was the black-headed brushfinch.Cadena, C. D., and A. M. Cuervo (2010). "Molecules, ecology, morphology, and songs in concert: how many species is Arremon torquatus (Aves: Emberizidae)?" Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 99(1): 152-176 The proposal passed in June 2011.R. Terry Chesser, Richard C. Banks, F. Keith Barker, Carla Cicero, Jon L. Dunn, Andrew W. Kratter, Irby J. Lovette, Pamela C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Jr., James D. Rising, Douglas F. Stotz, and Kevin Winker. "Fifty-third supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds". The Auk 2012, vol. 129:573-588 retrieved December 13, 2022

The black-headed brushfinch has two subspecies, the nominate A. a. atricapillus (Lawrence, 1874) and A. a. tacarcunae (Chapman, 1923).

Description

The black-headed brushfinch is about long and weighs about . The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have an almost entirely black head with a white throat. Their upperparts, wings, and tail are olive-green. The white of the throat continues through the breast and belly. The sides of their breast are gray and their flanks and vent are grayish olive. They have a dark chestnut-brown iris, a black bill, and blackish legs and feet. Juveniles have a greenish olive head and upperparts, dull brown wings and tail, and tawny underparts. Subspecies A. a. tacarcunae is very similar to the nominate but with a faint gray stripe in the middle of the crown and a faint gray supercilium.Jaramillo, A. (2020). Black-headed Brushfinch (Arremon atricapillus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.sthbrf1.01 retrieved May 6, 2026

Distribution and habitat

The black-headed brushfinch has a highly disjunct distribution. Subspecies A. a. tacarcunae is the more northerly of the two. It is found in Panama in eastern Panamá, eastern Guna Yala (San Blas) , and eastern Darién provinces. The nominate is found discontinuously in the Western, Central, and Eastern ranges of the Colombian Andes. The species inhabits lowland and montane evergreen forest, secondary forest, and elfin forest, where it favors dense undergrowth in the interior and edges. Sources differ on its elevation range. One states it is ; a more recent one states it is . A third places its upper limit at .

Behavior Movement

The black-headed brushfinch is a year-round resident.

Feeding

The black-headed brushfinch's diet has not been studied but is known to include insects and seeds. It typically forages singly or in pairs. It forages on the ground, usually under vegetative cover, scratching in leaf litter with its bill.

Breeding

The black-headed brushfinch breeds between April and June. Nothing else is known about the species' breeding biology.

Vocalization

The black-headed brushfinch's song is "a high-pitched series of rambling notes which proceed without breaks" and its call is "a sharp note".

Status

The IUCN has assessed the black-headed brushfinch as being of Least Concern. Though its overall range spans about its actual area of occupancy is unknown. Its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified. It is considered "uncommon and local, sometimes fairly common".

References