Atlapetes pileatus
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-capped Brush-Finch sighting in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, based on 175 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 104th most-seen of the 275 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-capped Brush-Finch in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–February, April, June, September and November, the lowest months.
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.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Rufous-capped Brush-Finch sightings, Cumbres de Monterrey National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca (Mexico, about 10%).
Same family: Passerellidae
The closest relatives of the Rufous-capped Brush-Finch that you can see in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (family Passerellidae, New World Sparrows) are Olive Sparrow (about 40%), Rufous-crowned Sparrow (about 20%) and Spotted Towhee (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufous-capped Brush-Finch is recorded against all the birds logged in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (175 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
