Black-masked Finch Coryphaspiza melanotis Scientific name definitions

The Black-masked Finch is of uncertain relationships, although in some aspects of plumage and bill pattern there is a suggestion that it is related to the Pampa-Finches (Embernagra) and Grass-Finches (Emberizoides). This finch is a grassland species, found in a fragmented range with a clear isolate out in near the mouth of the Amazon. The other populations are in the grasslands of southern Brazil, and Bolivia-Paraguay. The Black-masked Finch is a handsome bird with a bicolored orange and black bill, a black face contrasting with a bold white supercilium, olive-green upperparts and white underparts. Its preferred habitats are tall grasslands with interspersed shrubs, or even Butia palms. The song is high pitched and insect like, a set of paired notes so closely spaced that they sound like one frequency modulated note “TZiieeep” repeated at intervals of approximately two seconds.

13·5 cm; 15·6–15·8 g. A relatively thickset finch, with rather long and graduated tail, stout thick-based bill with gently curved culmen. Nominate race somewhat variable, especially on upperparts; has forehead and central crown black, very broad white supercilium widest immediately before eye and tapering somewhat to blunt point on side of nape; lores and area below eye rearwards to behind ear-coverts black (forming complete black mask), contrasting strongly with white throat; nape greyish, mantle and upper back greyish-olive with blackish streaks, lower back and rump greyish; upperwing greenish, marginal coverts yellow, inner greater upperwing-coverts greyish, tertials with greyish edging; some birds show feathers of mantle , scapulars, tertials and outer greater upperwing-coverts chestnut-brown with pale edges and ill-defined dark brown central streak; tail blackish, central rectrices grey, outer feathers with large white tips on inner web (obvious in flight), outer edge of outermost rectrix white; white below , sometimes tinged creamy-buff, spur of black on side of breast, blackish patches or streaking on flanks; yellowish wing-linings; iris dark; upper mandible black, lower mandible bright yellow; legs dull pink. Sexes similar. Juvenile is greyish-brown above and streaked throughout, wings only slightly more greenish than back, wing-coverts with dark centres and brown edgings, crown and face streaked, lacks black mask and white supercilium, instead having yellowish wash on lores and superciliary area, yellowish throat and breast, breast obscurely streaked brown, rest of underparts whitish, white tips of outer rectrices much reduced and central rectrices more olive-coloured, bill dull blackish above and horn-coloured below. Race marajoara is slightly smaller than nominate, with broader, blacker streaking on back.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Song high-pitched and insect-like, a set of paired notes so closely spaced as to sound like one frequency-modulated note, “tziieeep”, repeated at intervals of c. 2 seconds; sometimes slightly different phrase types used consecutively, “tziieep...tsi-tsíp...zz-tzzz...”. Call a high-pitched “tsiip”.

VULNERABLE. Uncommon to rare, and very local, and decreasing. Known from three disjunct regions: cerrado of S Brazil, SE Peru, E Bolivia, E Paraguay and N Argentina; externallink , N Brazil; and coastal cerrado of Rio Grande do Norte in NE Brazil (2 Pichorim, M., da Silva, M., França, B.R.A., de Oliveira-Júnior, T.M. and Rodrigues, M.C. (2014). A Cerrado bird community in the northernmost portion of northeastern Brazil - recommendations for conservation. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia. 22(4): 345–360. Close ). Has suffered extensive habitat loss, and likely to be in rapid decline. Main continuing threats are overgrazing, burning of grasslands, and large-scale tree-planting. Throughout most of this species. range, suitable grasslands are being destroyed at rapid rate by intensive cattle-ranching, mechanized agriculture, afforestation, invasive grasses, excessive use of pesticides and annual burning; since 1950, alteration and destruction of cerrado has increased and only a small fraction of this habitat now remains. In Bolivia, burning of grassland a significant problem, often caused by uncontrolled fires. This species is protected by law in Paraguay. It occurs in at least 14 protected areas (3 Lopes, L.E., Malacco, G.B., Alteff, E.F., de Vasconcelos, M.F., Hoffmann, D. and Silveira, L.F. (2010). Range extensions and conservation of some threatened or little known Brazilian grassland birds. Bird Conserv. Int. 20(1): 84–94. Close ), including Brasília and Serra da Canastra National Parks (Brazil), Mbaracayú Forest Nature Reserve and Isla Yacyreta Private Reserve (Paraguay) and Beni Biological Station (Bolivia). Formerly considered Vulnerable at the national level (4 Silveira, L. F., and F. C. Straube (2008). Aves. Pp. 378–679 in:. Close ), it is now designated Endangered under Brazilian legislation (5 MMA (2014). Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção. Portaria No 444, de 17 de dezembro de 2014. Diário Oficial da União - Seção 1. Nº 245, quinta-feira, 18 de dezembro de 2014. Close ); it is similarly assessed as nationally Endangered in Argentina and Paraguay.

Alvaro began birding as an 11 year old in Canada, and eventually trained in Evolutionary Ecology studying, creatures as varied as leaf-cutter ants and Argentine cowbirds. But his career has been focused on birding tourism, both as a guide and owner of his tour company, as well as a avitourism consultant to various organizations. He is the author of Birds of Chile, New World Blackbirds: The Icterids, as well as the ABA Field Guide to the birds of California. He lives in Half Moon Bay, California where he is known for his pelagic birding trips. Email: alvaro@alvarosadventures.com.