Spot-winged Rosefinch

Carpodacus rodopeplus

Rather large rosefinch of the Himalayas. Male is dark pink with broad pale eyebrows and two rows of fine white specks on the wings. Female is dark buffy brown with pale eyebrows. Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch female has uniformly whiter underparts. Spot-winged breeds in alpine meadows, scrub, and conifer forest edge; winters in similarly scrubby areas as well as forests lower down. Calls include a distinctive wheezy “cheWEE!”

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Carpodacus rodopeplus
Authority
(Vigors, 1831)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Fringillidae
Genus
Carpodacus

Range and habitat

Breeding range
PAL, OR : sc Palearctic-n Oriental region in w to ec Himalayas, in alpine meadows, high montane scrub and forest edge: from w Uttarakhand (nw India), s Tibet and Sikkim (nc India)
Non-breeding range
to lower elevations
Migration
Vertical migration

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

White-browed Robin-Chat

White-browed Robin-Chat

Cossypha heuglini

A large robin-chat with striking fiery orange underparts and collar, and a dark mask and crown split by broad white eyebrows. The back and wings are olive-gray. Pairs prefer forest thickets in well developed woodland, where they forage on the ground and sing from mid-canopy. Basic variations of the bold duetted “puu-deet, puu-deet, puu-deet” song get louder and louder in a characteristic crescendo, often incorporating varied jumbled notes and imitations of other species. The similar Rüppell's Robin-Chat is smaller than White-browed Robin-Chat, has black (not brown) central tail feathers, and prefers montane forest. The lowland forest-loving Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat is smaller yet, and has a diagnostic iridescent bluish forewing.

Sharp-tailed Tyrant

Sharp-tailed Tyrant

Culicivora caudacuta

A handsome tiny flycatcher with a long spiky tail. Note the conspicuous broad white eyebrow and white chin. It has black-and-brown streaking down its back and rusty sides. Inhabits tall grasslands in the lowlands that are rarely disturbed; can be hard to spot in the tall vegetation. Not very vocal; the song is a series of weak and short “tweee tweee tweee” notes.

Little Brown Bustard

Little Brown Bustard

Heterotetrax humilis

A small and relatively short-necked bustard. The male has a black-and-gray pattern on the head, while the female is plainer, but with abundant white spotting. Both sexes show a white belly. A white bar across the wing is conspicuous in flight. Found in dry savanna, shrubland, and semi-desert habitats. Often in pairs. Smaller than other bustards in its range. Somewhat like Buff-crested Bustard, but has a white rather than black belly.

Start Your Bird Watching Journey

Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.