Alternative names: Tawny-headed Mountain-Finch; Sillem's Rosefinch
- Carpodacus sillemi
Identification
Male
- Tawny-cinnamon head and neck
- Grey-fringed flight-feathers
- Black bill
- Pale underparts
Female
Not yet described. Pictures of a presumed female show a greyish bird with a yellow bill and brown streaks on upperparts, breast and flanks.
Similar species
Similar to Brandt's Mountain Finch but note the absence of black on lores and the tawny-cinnamon head.
Distribution
Formerly only known by two specimens collected at Kushku Maidan in Tibet, China, in 1929.
The species was rediscovered in 2012 in the Yenigou Valley in western Qinghai, China and photographed.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Formerly placed in the genus Leucosticte, however unlike other members of that genus the female is different from the male. So Gill and Donsker and Clements now place this species in the genus Carpodacus.
Habitat
Presumably a high altitude specialist.
Behaviour
No information on diet, breeding or movements.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- [1] Rediscovery of Sillem's Mountain Finch on Oriental Bird Club
- [2] Blog of the photographer with photos
