The Apurimac brushfinch (Atlapetes forbesi) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is endemic to Peru.

Taxonomy and systematics

The Apurimac brushfinch was formally described by Alastair Morrison in 1947 as a subspecies of the rufous-eared brushfinch with the trinomial Atlapetes rufigenis forbesi. The specific epithet honors Sir Courtenay Forbes, a former British ambassador to Peru, who aided Morrison during his travels in the country. The species' English name comes from the Department of Apurimac, where the type specimen was collected. It was recognized as a full species, and not closely related to the rufous-eared brushfinch, early in the twenty-first century.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, D. F. Lane, L, N. Naka, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 27 February 2026. A classification of the bird species of South America. South American Classification Committee associated with the International Ornithologists' Union. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved February 28, 2026

The Apurimac brushfinch is monotypic.

Description

The Apurimac brushfinch is long and weighs about . The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a mostly rufous head and nape with a black forehead, lores, and area around the eye. They have a white patch above the lores and a white lower cheek with a thin black line below it. Their upperparts are gray; their wings and tail are slightly more blackish with white showing on the bend of the folded wing. Their throat is white and their underparts mostly gray with a whitish center to the belly. They have a brown iris, a long blackish bill, and dark grayish legs and feet. Juveniles have a mostly brownish face and upperparts, a whitish throat, and a mottled brown breast and flanks.Jaramillo, A. (2020). Apurimac Brushfinch (Atlapetes forbesi), 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.apubrf1.01 retrieved May 27, 2026

Distribution and habitat

The Apurimac brushfinch is found in south-central Peru from far east-central Ayacucho Department east through much of Apurimac Department slightly into west-central Cuzco Department. It inhabits montane scrublands and Polylepis woodlands in the intermontane valleys. One source states it ranges in elevation between and another says between .

Behavior Movement

The Apurimac brushfinch is a year-round resident.

Feeding

The Apurimac brushfinch's diet has not been studied. It forages on the ground or slightly above it in vegetation.

Breeding

The Apurimac brushfinch's breeding season has not been defined but spans at least from March to May. Nothing else is known about the species' breeding biology.

Vocalization

The Apurimac brushfinch's song is "a hesitant series of thin whistles and slow trills, for example: tchip TSEEW! tchi pi-pi". Excited pairs duet with "high musical chatters ending with ti'ti'ti'ti tooee tooee tooee tooee". The species' call is "high pi notes".

Status

The IUCN has assessed the Apurimac brushfinch as being of Least Concern. It has a restricted range; its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. "Deforestation is a threat, as Podocarpus trees continue to be cut on the Nevada Ampay in Apurímac, north of Abancay...The Podocarpus forest in the Nevada Ampay is protected as the Ampay National Sanctuary, and reforestation is underway, but threats to the forest are yet to be alleviated." It is considered "fairly common" or "locally common".

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