Three-banded Rosefinch
Carpodacus trifasciatus
Distinctive and uncommon rosefinch with a long tail. Male is strikingly unmistakable, with grayish “peppery” cheeks, white wing patches, and dark pink crown, back, and breast. Female is predominantly brownish, but also has white slashes on the wings, buffy wingbars, and orangish chest coloration. Breeds in forests with dense thickets, preferring coniferous growth but varying locally, between approximately 2100 and 3050 meters; winters at slightly lower altitudes. Forages on the ground or in low vegetation, typically in pairs or small flocks.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Carpodacus trifasciatus
- Authority
- Verreaux, J, 1871
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Carpodacus
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- PAL : sc Palearctic in e Tibetan Plateau, in montane conifer forest: se Tibet to Qinghai, s Gansu and s Shaanxi, s to nw Yunnan (nc, sc China)
- Non-breeding range
- some altitudinal and short-distance movement to orchards, fields
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Large-billed Tern
Phaetusa simplex
Unmistakable large noisy tern, with a long, thick yellow bill, black crown, three-toned wings (black outer wing, pale middle, and gray inner wing), and a gray tail. Juveniles have a browner crown and wings. Found along large rivers and lakes and seasonally on the coast.
Black-faced Woodswallow
Artamus cinereus
Chunky bird with broad, triangular wings and short, decurved bill. Gray above, paler gray below, with a black between eye and bill. Tail black with white tip broken by black at the center. Pale underwings contrast with gray belly in flight. Often perches prominently on the top of dead shrubs and trees.
Marsh Widowbird
Euplectes hartlaubi
Breeding males are mostly black with a long tail. Varies geographically, with northern birds having a shorter tail and mainly orange shoulder patch, while southern birds have a longer tail and a yellow-and-orange shoulder patch. Females and non-breeding males are streaky and brown, though males retain their colorful shoulder. Breeds in marsh habitats, and uses a variety of open habitats in non-breeding season. Vocalizations include low rasps and twittering and sizzling calls. Northern breeding males similar to Fan-tailed Widowbird, but longer-tailed. Female can be confused with several other species, but is usually identified by association with orange-shouldered males.
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