Red-backed Sierra Finch Idiopsar dorsalis Scientific name definitions

The Red-backed Sierra Finch is very closely related, and sometimes treated as conspecific, with the White-throated Sierra Finch (Idiopsar erythronotus). The Red-backed Sierra Finch is the more easterly and southerly species of this pair. It is a gorgeous gray bird with a white throat and conspicuous and highly contrasting chestnut-red back. The Red-backed Sierra Finch is not common and prefers rocky slopes in the altiplano that are adjacent to a stream or bofedal wetlands. This is a quiet species, mainly giving short whistled contact calls. Information is needed on the song. The distribution of this species is unclear, as juveniles of the White-throated Sierra Finch show a warm brownish back and have been misidentified as the Red-backed Sierra Finch. The main stronghold for this species is in the highlands of southern Bolivia; otherwise, it is found with frequency at a couple of spots in northwestern Argentina and the highlands of Antofagasta in Chile.