Asian Rosy Finch - BirdForum Opus

Photo by Ayuwat J
Beppu, Oita, Japan

Leucosticte arctoa

Identification

14–18 cm

• Black or brownish streaked plumage with a pink wash

Distribution

Russia south to Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and Japan.

Taxonomy

Photo by Askar Isabekov
East Kazakhstan oblast, Ulan region, Kazakhstan, February 2006

Subspecies

This is a polytypic species, consisting of five subspecies^[1]:

• L. a. arctoa:

• Russian Altai

• L. a. cognata:

• Sayan Mountains and adjacent mountains on Russia/Mongolia border

• L. a. sushkini:

• Northern Mongolia (Khangai region)

• L. a. gigliolii:

• Mountains north of Lake Baikal (east to Yablonovy Mountains)

• L. a. brunneonucha:

• Mountains of eastern Siberia (Lena River to Kamchatka and Kuril Islands)

Habitat

Tundra and temperate grassland. Streamsides, woodand edge in medium to high mountains.

Behaviour

Diet

Their diet consists of grass seeds, buds and shoots of various weeds and sedges. Iinsects are also taken.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. BF Member observations
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved December 2014)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Asian Rosy Finch. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Asian_Rosy_Finch

External Links

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