Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch Poospiza rubecula

The Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch is one of the rarest bird species of Peru. It is restricted to the western Andes where have been recorded from a few scattered localities. It was described by Salvin from three specimens collected in Cajabamba (department of Cajamarca) and Huamachuco (department of La Libertad) in 1894 (Hellmayr 1938). In the more than one hundred years since its discovery, this species rarely has been seen. The majority of records are from the department of Lima, primarily from the Santa Eulalia valley and from Bosque Zárate. The latter locality is a known breeding site for this species and this where as many as six individuals have been seen (Barrio 1995), the largest group reported until now.  The Rufous-breasted Warbling-Finch is difficult to observe due to its cryptic behavior and its low density. It remains poorly known, and almost all aspects of its biology are in need of study.