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Dark-breasted Rosefinch Procarduelis nipalensis Scientific name definitions

Peter Clement
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2010

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

15–16 cm; 20–24 g. Medium-large, dark rosefinch with pointed conical bill and notched tail. Male nominate race has lowermost forehead and lores black (may also have dark around eye), continuing as broad dark maroon eyestripe to side of neck; forehead and forecrown deep vinous-pink, bright pink supercilium behind eye, bright pink (as forehead or slightly paler) on cheek and ear-coverts extending to chin and throat; crown, nape and upperparts dark maroon, indistinctly streaked darker; tail blackish-brown, finely edged dull reddish-brown; upperwing dark brown, tinged crimson, paler or brighter on edges and tips of greater coverts, flight-feathers edged dull crimson, tertials broadly edged slightly paler or pinkish-white; side of lower throat to upper belly and flanks maroon, rest of underparts pinkish or tipped crimson; iris black; bill dark brown, paler flesh-brown base of lower mandible; legs flesh-brown. Female has forehead to crown, nape and upperparts dark brown, broadly but indistinctly streaked darker, rump and uppertail-coverts paler buff-brown, tail dark brown, edged warm buff-brown, wing dark brown, median and greater coverts tipped pale buff-brown, secondaries edged paler brown or buffish, tertials broadly tipped pale buff-brown; face and underparts dull buffish-brown, sometimes poorly defined pale supercilium; belly to undertail-coverts slightly paler; bare parts as for male. Juvenile is like female, but upperparts more uniformly olive-brown; first-winter and first-summer males as adult female, but may show some reddish-brown on upperparts towards end of first summer. Race kangrae is similar to nominate, with upperparts browner, female paler and greyer than nominate; intensicolor of both sexes is darker than nominate, male with dark reddish-brown upperparts and breastband contrasting with reddish forehead and forecrown and pinkish-red rear supercilium, lower ear-coverts, throat and belly.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Geographical variation largely clinal, plumage becoming darker from W to E; race intensicolor sometimes synonymized with nominate. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Procarduelis nipalensis kangrae Scientific name definitions

Distribution

W Himalayas in N India (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, perhaps Kashmir).
SUBSPECIES

Procarduelis nipalensis nipalensis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

C and E Himalayas from W Nepal E to NE India (E to NE Arunachal Pradesh) and S and SE Tibet.

SUBSPECIES

Procarduelis nipalensis intensicolor Scientific name definitions

Distribution

SC China (S Gansu, W Sichuan and NW Yunnan), N Myanmar and, status uncertain, NW Vietnam (W Tonkin); rare winter visitor to E Myanmar and NW Thailand.

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Montane or submontane oak (Quercus), fir (Abies) and rhododendron (Rhododendron) forests, scrub, stunted bushes, grassy slopes and weed patches, patches of Arundinaria bamboo, also among rocks in boulderfields, alpine meadows at or above tree-line and ravines; at 3000–4400 m in Himalayas. In non-breeding season occurs in forest clearings and edges, undergrowth and edges of cultivation at lower levels, 1500–2750 in Nepal; in severe weather down to 1200 m in Nepal and Sikkim, occasionally to 900 m in Bhutan.

Movement

Partial or altitudinal migrant. Descends to lower levels in non-breeding season, between Nov and Apr; most movements triggered by severity of winter weather, and in most years remains towards upper limit, but in very severe weather comes lower. Rare non-breeding visitor in E Myanmar and NW Thailand.

Diet and Foraging

Diet poorly known, mostly small seeds and berries; also takes blossom, pollen and nectar from rhododendron flowerheads (forehead and throat becomes stained with pollen). Actively forages on the ground; shy, usually in or under bushes or low vegetation. In pairs or small flocks; often in larger single-sex pre-breeding flocks of up to 20 individuals (exceptionally to 100), and in mixed-species flocks with Carpodacus subhimachalus, Pyrrhoplectes epauletta and Carpodacus sipahi.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song a repetitive and monotonous chipping note. Calls include plaintive, wailing double whistle, and a twitter like that of a sparrow (Passer); alarm a harsh "cha-a-rr".

Breeding

Birds in breeding condition in Jun–Aug. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Common or fairly common, but generally rather local; W race kangrae generally uncommon. Status in China not well known, but species probably locally not uncommon. Status in N Myanmar and N Vietnam (W Tonkin) uncertain, probably a rare resident.
Distribution of the Dark-breasted Rosefinch - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Dark-breasted Rosefinch

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Clement, P. (2020). Dark-breasted Rosefinch (Procarduelis nipalensis), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.dabros1.01
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