Atlapetes pileatus
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
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 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 59th most-seen of the 103 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-capped Brush-Finch in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca on a given day, against under 5% in May and December, the lowest months. That is one of Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca's driest months, with about 35 mm of rain against 270 mm in July. April and June–September have too few records to rate.
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.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Rufous-capped Brush-Finch sightings, Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (Mexico, about 10%).
Same family: Passerellidae
The closest relatives of the Rufous-capped Brush-Finch that you can see in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca (family Passerellidae, New World Sparrows) are Yellow-eyed Junco (about 80%), Spotted Towhee (about 40%) and Lincoln's Sparrow (about 30%), 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 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca (19 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.
