Identification
Perhaps the most beautiful of the five species of inca-finch; restricted to the upper parts of the Marañon Valley and its tributaries in the Andes of northern Peru. It has a yellow bill and legs, a black face and throat, and a chestnut back; its buffy belly and mustache set it apart from all the other inca-finches. Young birds are washed out and streaky, showing only a hint of the face and throat markings. Inhabits arid areas with dense scrub, and feeds mainly on the ground.