The brown-capped rosy finch (''Leucosticte australis'') is a medium-sized
finch
The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches generally have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where the ...
endemic to
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
.
Adults are brown on the head, back, and breast. The belly and rump are pink, with additional pink shading on the wings and tail.
The pink is pronounced on the male but more subdued on the female.
The forehead is black or grayish brown.
The bill is yellow in winter and black in summer.
These birds have short black legs and a long forked tail.
Their breeding habitat is mountain peaks in the central
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...
of the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
They build a cup nest in a cavity on a cliff, or re-use abandoned
cliff swallow nests. In winter, these birds
migrate
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
short distances to lower elevations.
These birds can be found in alpine snowfields and also at feeders, especially in the winter.
They forage on the ground, but may fly to catch insects in flight.
They mainly eat seeds from weeds and grasses and insects. They often feed in small flocks with other
rosy finches.
At one time, the three North American rosy finches were considered to be one species.
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.
Gallery
File:Brown-capped Rosy-finch.jpg, left, Sandia Peak - New Mexico
References
External links
Photo
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.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q939678
brown-capped rosy finch
Endemic birds of the Western United States
brown-capped rosy finch
Taxa named by Robert Ridgway