Scarlet Finch
Carpodacus sipahi
The brilliantly red male is fittingly named and unmistakable. The female and juvenile are duller, but still recognizable with overall greenish-yellow tones, a yellow rump, and a thick pinkish bill. Rosefinches are similarly colored overall, but they have a smaller bill, a longer tail, and are more extensively streaked. Inhabits montane and hilly forests, where it usually moves around in small flocks, frequently perching on exposed branches and snags. Can be very sluggish and inactive. Gives rich slurred notes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Carpodacus sipahi
- Authority
- (Hodgson, 1836)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Carpodacus
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- OR : sc Palearctic-n Oriental region in Himalayan montane forest: Uttarakhand through se Tibet, ne India, w, n Myanmar and nw Yunnan (sc China)
- Non-breeding range
- to lower elevations and s to n Thailand to n Vietnam
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Shiny Cowbird
Molothrus bonariensis
Common in Caribbean and South America. Found in semiopen and open grassy areas, often associated with livestock. Feeds mainly on the ground, but perches readily in bushes and trees. Male is glossy blue-black overall (often looks simply black). Female is plain grayish-brown overall. Bill shape is the key feature: blackish bill is more slender and pointed than bills of Brown-headed and Bronzed cowbirds. Also note similar but larger Melodious Blackbird, which has longer bill and often flicks its tail.
Philippine Leafbird
Chloropsis flavipennis
A medium-sized bird of lowland and foothill forest canopy and edge. Overall bright green with a paler green chest and face and a yellowish throat, eye-ring, and edge to the wing. Note the brown bill and black wingtips and legs. No other green birds of this size occur in its range. Song consists of simple, medium-pitched whistled phrases or a series of repeated “tyup!” notes.
Fairy Gerygone
Gerygone palpebrosa
Small plain bird with thin bill. Upperparts grayish brown with green tinges, underparts yellow. In male, distinct white facial markings extend from above the base of the bill to the chin. In female and juvenile, facial markings indistinct, usually just a light loral patch (above bill). Compare larger Green-backed Honeyeater, with pale eye and dark lores. Inhabits subtropical wet forests, usually edges and surrounding habitats, and mangroves.
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