Black-masked Finch

13.5 cm. Upper bill black, mandible yellow. Crown and head sides black. Long superciliary white. Nape gray, striped black. Back light olive-brown, striped black. Shoulders and edgings of primaries yellowish. Underparts white with a black patch on either side of the chest. Tail long and graded with the outer tail feathers broadly tipped white. <NThe female is less brightly marked than the male. Head grayish. Crown brownish, streaked black. Wing edgings greenish-yellow. Less white in tail. Call high "ti": song a four-syllable high pitched whistle, "ticeriliit ^119 . In the sonogram it shows more complexity picture 3 . It has a frequency of approximately 7000 Hz and actually consists of 7 -8 notes which last all together about 0.3 sec. Forages on the ground of tall grass areas. Perches higher when singing. In pairs or single. Locally common, but generally hard to find. Lives in tall grass areas with some small bushes in the cerrado belt. This biome is now rather scattered due to burning and overgrazing. Inland Estado S<C4>o Paulo e.g. at<8E>Aguas de Santa Barbara 60 km W of Botucatu , <8E>Broa<8E>Reservatorio Lobo, about 20 km S of<8E>S<C4>o Carlos ^119 : can be regularly found at<8E>Itirapina. To 1000 meters 10059 Song, November 14, 1994.Itirapina, campo sujo, open grassland. 25<91>C, some wind, sunny,few clouds.: 3228 Song, November 15, 1994, Itirapina, open grassland, 250C, sunny, with /Emberizoides herbicola .: 8230 > Male: 9827 > Female: 9841 . song, Itirapina, Oct. 1994: