Taxonomy and Biogeography of the Monte Yellow-Finch (Sicalis mendozae): Understanding the Endemic Avifauna of Argentina's Monte Desert

[摘要] Abstract. The poorly known Pseudochloris mendozae Sharpe, 1888, has usually been considered a subspecies of the widespread Greenish Yellow-Finch (Sicalis olivascens) of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile, and northwest Argentina. In this work, we present data on morphology, vocalizations, ecology, and distribution supporting the recognition of the Monte Yellow-Finch (Sicalis mendozae) (Sharpe 1888) as a full species. S. mendozae is 10% smaller in size (with no overlap in wing or bill measurements), and its average weight is 80% that of S. olivascens. In comparison with S. olivascens, breeding males of S. mendozae are considerably brighter, lack any olive tinge on the throat and breast, lack any dorsal mottling or streaking, and have a brighter olive rump. In fresh plumage nonbreeding males are similar to four other Sicalis species, differing subtly. Female S. mendozae is closest in appearance to the allopatric Patagonian Yellow-Finch (S. lebruni), differing chiefly by its olive rump. The song, com...

[学科分类] 动物科学

[关键词] Andes;endemic bird area;Monte Desert;Pseudochloris;Sicalis mendozae;Sicalis olivascens;speciation;species limits