Long-tailed Rosefinch
Carpodacus sibiricus
Large, plump finch of the boreal forest. Adult males are pink overall with two white wingbars and pale gray highlights. Immature males and females are not so bright but still subtly pretty; gray body with olive, yellow, or burnt-orange head and rump. Stubby bill with rounded edges. Song consists of rich, mellow warbles; listen for musical flight calls. Breeds in open coniferous forests. Winters in a variety of wooded habitats, especially around fruiting trees including crabapple and mountain ash. Often extremely tame, allowing close approach.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Carpodacus sibiricus
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Carpodacus
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds

Black-tailed Trainbearer
Lesbia victoriae
Small hummingbird with an exceptionally long tail. Green overall with a fairly short, slightly decurved bill. The male’s long tail is striking. Sexes similar but females are more spotted below and have a shorter tail. Could be confused with Long-tailed Sylph, but the trainbearer occurs in dry, scrubby, open habitats, not in forests. Compare with very similar Green-tailed Trainbearer; Black-tailed has a longer, more decurved bill, a longer tail that usually looks slightly curved, and is somewhat duller green. Occurs from Colombia to Peru, from around 2,500 to 3,800 m. Occasionally visits feeders, but more often seen feeding at flowering shrubs.

White-bellied Sunbird
Cinnyris talatala
A small, pale-bellied sunbird. The male has iridescent blue-green upperparts and head, with a bold white belly and broad purplish breast band. The female is very clean, gray-brown above and pale gray underneath, without any markings. Singles, pairs, and small groups occupy savanna, broadleaf woodland, and parkland, foraging for insects and nectar. The song is a canary-like warble and the call is a strained, 2-5 note “cheet-cheet….” Oustalet’s Sunbird differs by having a shorter bill and darker throat, a broader maroon breast band, a blue (not green) upper tail, and orange (not yellow) pectoral tufts.

Vermilion Cardinal
Cardinalis phoeniceus
A garish scarlet bird sporting a dramatic spiky crest and a hefty gray bill. Male overall brilliant red with black chin; female brown, gray-headed, with red crest and tail. Often found in pairs, perched in erect posture on the top of bushes or on exposed branches. Common in desert scrub and dry forests in the lowlands. Voice a melodious and slow whistled series. Unmistakable in arid regions of northern Venezuela and extreme northeastern Colombia.
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