Somali Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus louisae Scientific name definitions

Somali Grosbeak is a recently recognized, restricted-range species confined to the North Somali Mountains Endemic Bird Area, and is very poorly known with rather few modern-day observations. Considered Near Threatened by BirdLife International, its estimated population is fewer than 10,000 individuals; formerly the species was considered to be quite common, at least locally, but is believed to have declined as a result of habitat loss and recent poor-rainfall years. The male Somali Grosbeak has the forehead and crown dull dark brown, lores to throat black, ear-coverts grey and upperparts grey-brown; the tail is blackish, with broad yellow edges to most feathers, and most of the wings are blackish brown, except the mostly golden-yellow secondaries and some coverts; below, mainly pale greyish, grading to whitish. There is only limited sexual dimorphism, with the female differing only in having a paler forehead and crown, and black on head confined to face and chin. Found on thorn-covered and scrub-covered rocky outcrops, slopes and dry wadis with giant euphorbias (Euphorbia abessinica), there is virtually no information on most aspects of this grosbeak’s life history, including breeding and diet, and even its vocalizations are practically unknown.