Antioquia brushfinch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Antioquia brushfinch |
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| Conservation status | |
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Atlapetes
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| Species: |
blancae
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The Antioquia brushfinch (Atlapetes blancae) is a special type of bird. It belongs to the Passerellidae family, which includes many sparrows and buntings. This bird is quite rare and was only officially identified in 2007.
Scientists first described it using three bird specimens. These specimens were kept in a museum in Antioquia, Colombia. They were once thought to be a different bird, the slaty brushfinch. The name blancae was chosen for two reasons. It describes the bird's whitish belly. It also honors Blanca Huertas, a Colombian scientist. She studies butterflies and is married to Thomas M. Donegan. He is the ornithologist who described this new bird species.
All three museum specimens were collected a long time ago. One of them has a date from 1971. After its discovery, scientists looked for the Antioquia brushfinch. They searched in Antioquia but could not find it again for many years. The discovery of this new species was approved. It was approved by the South American Classification Committee. This committee helps classify birds in South America. The Antioquia brushfinch is now considered critically endangered. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever.
Rediscovery
In January 2018, something exciting happened. A person living in San Pedro de los Milagros, Colombia, saw this bird. They spotted it on their way to church. Since then, scientists have found four groups of these birds. There are at least 20 individual birds in total.
It was surprising that the bird had been missed for so long. It lives quite close to the big city of Medellín. About 3.7 million people live in Medellín. The American Bird Conservancy is now hopeful about the bird's future. They said that Colombian researchers now know where to look. They are finding more birds.
This brushfinch lives in small areas of low bushes. These areas are often close to people. Protecting these small patches of habitat is very important. There are also ways to help restore land. One way is called silvipasture. This method combines trees, grass, and farm animals. It can help the bird and local farms. But action needs to be taken quickly to help this species survive.
See also
In Spanish: Montañerito de los Paisas para niños
