Rufous-capped Brush-Finch

Rufous-capped Brush-Finch

Atlapetes pileatus

Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Toluca

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

5 Verified sightings at Toluca
194 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Rufous-capped Brush-Finch

The rufous-capped brushfinch (Atlapetes pileatus) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is endemic to Mexico. The rufous-capped brushfinch was formally described in 1831 with its present binomial Atlapetes pileatus. It is the type species for the genus Atlapetes.

The rufous-capped brushfinch is 14.5 to 16.5 cm (5.7 to 6.5 in) long and weighs 21.5 to 27.5 g (0.76 to 0.97 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a rufous crown, a dark charcoal face, and a gray nape. Their upperparts, wings, and tail are olive-green. Their throat is yellow. Their underparts are mostly yellowish with an olive tinge on the sides of the breast and a strong cinnamon tinge on the flanks and undertail coverts. They have a brown to dark red-brown iris, a blackish bill, and dusky pinkish to brownish legs and feet. Juveniles have no rufous on the crown, they have pale wing bars, and their underparts are paler than adults'. Subspecies A. p. dilutus is larger and overall paler than the nominate... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:31

Mexico · 2026

© Manuel Grosselet · XC1107059 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song1:28

Mexico · 2019

© Richard E. Webster · XC497078 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:23

Mexico · 2015

© Frank Lambert · XC352146 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
2 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Toluca 🇲🇽 México
<5%
2 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rufous-capped Brush-Finch in Toluca?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-capped Brush-Finch sighting in Toluca on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 113th most-seen of the 118 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Rufous-capped Brush-Finch in Toluca?

July

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-capped Brush-Finch in Toluca on a given day, against under 5% in May–June and August–March, the lowest months. That is one of Toluca's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against 5 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see a Rufous-capped Brush-Finch?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous-capped Brush-Finch sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Toluca the best place to see a Rufous-capped Brush-Finch?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Rufous-capped Brush-Finch sightings, Toluca has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Mexico City (México, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Rufous-capped Brush-Finch live in Toluca?

Same family: Passerellidae

The closest relatives of the Rufous-capped Brush-Finch that you can see in Toluca (family Passerellidae, New World Sparrows) are Canyon Towhee (about 80%), Song Sparrow (about 70%) and Striped Sparrow (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Rufous-capped Brush-Finch sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rufous-capped Brush-Finch is recorded against all the birds logged in Toluca (5 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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