Pygmy Hanging-Parrot

The most widespread rosy-finch. Body is the color of milk chocolate. Look for pink highlights in the wings, tail and belly. Several different populations; some have gray wrapping around the back of the head only above the eye, others have entirely gray cheek. Breeds at the highest elevations; descends to lower elevations in winter. Often in mixed flocks in winter with other rosy-finches. Feeds on seeds and insects. Look for them foraging on alpine snowfields. Visits feeders, primarily in winter.

Large pigeon of marshy savannas, riversides, open areas with scattered trees, locally even in towns, such as Villahermosa, Mexico. Gray head contrasts with pinkish body, and whitish belly does not contrast strongly with plain grayish tail; compare darker Red-billed Pigeon, which often occurs in same areas but prefers drier and more forested habitats. Also note black bill of Pale-vented, and subtly distinctive song: after long introductory coo, repeated phrase is typically a 3-syllable "who’koo-koo", unlike 4-syllable "oo’koo-koo-koo" of Red-billed.

As gray as the high cliffs, rocky meadows, and glacial moraines it frequents, this mountain-finch is often quite tame and will often take food from monasteries and local highland villages. The dark head and plain body of breeding adults are unique amongst the passerines in its range. Nonbreeding birds are paler-headed, but still retain some of the darkness, especially near the bill, and are less well-marked on the back than Plain Mountain-Finch.