Updates: Pinyon Jay, Bare-faced Currasow, & Two Brushfinches

BOW Authors April 10, 2020
Pinyon Jay
Pinyon Jay

Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA by Mike Miller. ML75493091

A leading team of ornithologists is constantly revising Birds of the World species accounts. “Account Revisions” is a regular blog feature that features these updated accounts.

Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus)

Pinyon Jay by Mike Miller. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA. ML75493091

Full Revision

Kristine Johnson and Russell P. Balda
Version: 2.0 — Published March 19, 2020

The Pinyon Jay is a highly social, cooperatively breeding bird of the foothills and lower mountain slopes of the western United States and northern Baja California, Mexico. Although omnivorous, it is committed to the harvest, transport, caching, and later retrieval of pine seeds, aided by a relatively long, strong bill; an expandable esophagus; and long, strong wings. Individuals have excellent spatial memories that allow them uncanny recovery accuracy when digging up their hidden food stores months after caching, even through snow. Read more about Pinyon Jay.

Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata)

Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata) ML124114701
Bare-faced Curassow by George Pagos. The Patanal, Brazil. ML124114701

Partial Revision

Guy M. Kirwan, Josep del Hoyo, Nigel Collar, David Christie, and Chris Sharpe
Version: 1.1 — Published March 19, 2020

The Bare-faced Curassow is distributed from eastern Amazonia south through central Brazil into Paraguay and northern Argentina. It forages on the ground in forest and forest edge, where it can be fairly common. It is easiest to detect in early morning and late evening, when individuals or pairs wander into clearings or deliver their deep, booming songs.  Read more about Bare-faced Curassow.

Tricolored Brushfinch (Atlapetes tricolor)

Tricolored Brushfinch by Lars Petersson. Pasco, Peru. ML211704361

Partial Revision

Alvaro Jaramillo, Josep del Hoyo, Nigel Collar, and Guy M. Kirwan

Version: 1.1 — Published March 26, 2020

No more tricolored than various other members of the genus, this one ended up with the name. In fact, with yellow underparts, black on the face face and sides of the head, a tawny crown stripe, and an olive back, why the vernacular name has persisted remains a mystery. In general color and pattern the Tricolored Brushfinch resembles both the Pale-naped and Yellow-breasted brushfinches; however, the Tricolored has an entirely tawny to yellow, not rufous, crown stripe which does not turn whitish on the nape. Tricolored Brushfinch is found in the Andes from Colombia to northern Peru. Read more about Tricolored Brushfinch.

White-winged Brushfinch (Atlapetes leucopterus)

White-winged Brushfinch by Glenn Lahde. Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge, Ecuador. ML115288251

Partial Revision

Alvaro Jaramillo, Josep del Hoyo, Nigel Collar, and Guy M. Kirwan

Version: 1.1 — Published March 26, 2020

White-winged Brushfinch is a species of shrubby hillsides, in some places occupying very dry habitats, including brush interspersed with Bombax trees. Read more about White-winged Brushfinch.