Bird name:

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Leucosticte tephrocotis

Order

PASSERIFORMES

Family

Finches (Fringillidae)

Code 4

GCRF

Code 6

LEUTEP

ITIS

179215

Breeding Location:

Grassland with scattered trees, Mountains, Grasslands

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Widespread

Egg Color:

White, sometimes with red brown spots

Number of Eggs:

4 - 5

Incubation Days:

12 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Grass, rootlets, lichen, and moss, lined with fine grass, plant down, and feathers.

Migration:

Some migrate

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General

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch: Medium-sized finch with brown body and pink on shoulders, flanks, and belly. Forehead is dark brown and bill is yellow with dark tip. Back of head and belly have gray patches. Female is duller. Coastal birds may have gray faces.

Range and Habitat

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch: Breeds from Alaska to California and descends to lower elevations near breeding areas in the winter. Prefers alpine tundra and high snowfields; winters in nearby lowlands.

Breeding and Nesting

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch: Four to five white eggs, sometimes with red brown spots, are laid in a bulky nest built in a rock cavity. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch: Eats seeds, vegetation, and insects; forages on the ground.

Readily Eats

Safflower, Apple Slices, Suet, Millet, Peanut Kernels, Fruit, Commercial Mixed Bird Seed

Vocalization

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch: Gives harsh "cheep, cheep" notes in flight.

Similar Species

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch: Black Rosy-Finch lacks brown back and breast. Brown-capped Rosy-Finch lacks gray on the head.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America