Brown-capped rosy finch
Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox The brown-capped rosy finch (Leucosticte australis) is a medium-sized finch endemic to North America.[1]
Adults are brown on the head, back, and breast. The belly and rump are pink, with additional pink shading on the wings and tail.[1][2] The pink is pronounced on the male but more subdued on the female.[1] The forehead is black or grayish brown.[2] The bill is yellow in winter and black in summer.[1] These birds have short black legs and a long forked tail.
Their breeding habitat is mountain peaks in the central Rocky Mountains of the United States.[1][3] They build a cup nest in a cavity on a cliff, or re-use abandoned cliff swallow nests. In winter, these birds migrate short distances to lower elevations.[1][3]
These birds can be found in alpine snowfields and also at feeders, especially in the winter.[4] They forage on the ground, but may fly to catch insects in flight.[1] They mainly eat seeds from weeds and grasses and insects. They often feed in small flocks with other rosy finches.[4]
At one time, the three North American rosy finches were considered to be one species.[5]
Despite fears that the population of this bird is declining, an analysis published in 2023 found a healthy population with more than three times the birds estimated in a 2016 report.[5]
Gallery
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Sandia Peak - New Mexico
References
External links
Further reading
Book
- Johnson, R. E., P. Hendricks, D. L. Pattie, and K. B. Hunter. 2000. Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte australis). In The Birds of North America, No. 536 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
Articles
- Banks RC & Browning MR. (1980). Correct Citations for Some North American Bird Taxa. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. vol 92, no 1. pp. 195–203.
- Hendricks DP. (1977). Brown-Capped Rosy Finch Nesting in New-Mexico. Auk. vol 94, no 2. pp. 384–385.
- Hendricks P. (1978). Notes on the Courtship Behavior of Brown-Capped Rosy Finches. Wilson Bulletin. vol 90, no 2. pp. 285–287.
- Hendricks P. (1980). Reaction of Brown-Capped Rosy Finches Leucosticte-Australis to Banded Nestlings. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol 51, no 2.
- Johnson RE. (1965). Reproductive activities of rosy finches, with special reference to Montana. Auk vol 82 pp. 190–205.
- Johnson RE. (1977). Seasonal Variation in the Genus Leucosticte in North America. Condor. vol 79, no 1. pp. 76–86.
- Marti CD & Braun CE. (1975). Use of Tundra Habitats by Prairie Falcons in Colorado USA. Condor. vol 77 pp. 213–214.
- Shreeve D. F. (1980). Behaviour of the Aleutian Grey-crowned and Brown-capped rosy finches Leucosticte tephrocotis. Ibis vol 122 pp. 145–165.