Black-headed brushfinch explained

The black-headed brushfinch (Arremon atricapillus) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae. It lives in the undergrowth of humid forest, especially near edges, at altitudes of 300mto1200mm (1,000feetto3,900feetm) in Colombia and Panama.^{[1] [2]}

Taxonomy

Until recently, the black-headed brushfinch was placed in the genus Buarremon.^[3]

The black-headed brushfinch was often treated as a subspecies of the stripe-headed brushfinch (A. torquatus), but the distributions of the two approach each other closely in Colombia with no evidence of intergradation.^[4] In addition, the Costa Rican brushfinch, A. costaricensis has often been treated as a subspecies of the stripe-headed brushfinch, or a subspecies of the black-headed brushfinch,^[4] but based on ecology, morphology, song, and molecular work, it has recently been suggested that A. costaricensis is worthy of treatment as a species.^[5] In that case, the black-headed brushfinch would only include the subspecies tacarcunae, and be restricted to Colombia and eastern Panama.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Ridgely, R. S., & J. A. Gwynne, Jr. (1989). A Guide to the Birds of Panama with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. 2nd edition. Princeton University Press.
2. Restall, R. L., C. Rodner, & M. Lentino (2006). Birds of Northern South America. Christopher Helm. (vol. 1). (vol. 2).
3. 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.
4. Ridgely, R. S., & G. Tudor. (1989). Birds of South America. The Oscine Passerines. Vol. 1. Oxford University Press.
5. Cadena, C. D., and A. M. Cuervo (2009). 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