Skip to main content

Photo: David F. Belmonte / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Black-spectacled Brushfinch

Atlapetes melanopsis

Black-spectacled Brushfinch (Atlapetes melanopsis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists
See what's near you right now

The Black-spectacled Brushfinch (Atlapetes melanopsis) is a member of the Passerellidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 29.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Passerellidae New World Sparrows
  4. Genus Atlapetes
  5. Species melanopsis

Where it lives

Peru

Quick facts

Weight
29.6 g
Diet
Omnivores
Family
Passerellidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Black-spectacled Brushfinch is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.

Migration

The Black-spectacled Brushfinch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Black-spectacled Brushfinch (Atlapetes melanopsis) belongs to the Passerellidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA Peru.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 29.6 g, with a wing length of about 7.6 cm and a tail of around 8.1 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3,080 km² — a relatively restricted global range.

Songs & calls

Black-spectacled Brushfinch — Call

Recorded by Andrew Spencer Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 2.5

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Black-spectacled Brushfinch?

The Black-spectacled Brushfinch is a small bird that weighs around 29.6 g.

Where does the Black-spectacled Brushfinch live?

The Black-spectacled Brushfinch is found across South America with a range covering SA Peru, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Black-spectacled Brushfinch belong to?

The Black-spectacled Brushfinch (Atlapetes melanopsis) belongs to the Passerellidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Black-spectacled Brushfinch eat?

The Black-spectacled Brushfinch is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Black-spectacled Brushfinch migrate?

The Black-spectacled Brushfinch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Black-spectacled Brushfinch endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Black-spectacled Brushfinch make?

1 real field recording of the Black-spectacled Brushfinch — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Black-spectacled Brushfinch's range?

The Black-spectacled Brushfinch has a mapped global range of about 3,080 km².

Conservation

Near Threatened

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Passerellidae

More in Songbirds

Guides for this bird

Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds

How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.

4 min read

Back to top