White-winged Grosbeak Mycerobas carnipes Scientific name definitions

22–24 cm; 50–66 g. Large, heavy-bodied grosbeak with short wing and longish, relatively slender tail. Male nominate race has head to upper back and to lower breast sooty black or blackish-grey, scapulars black with dull yellow tips on rearmost feathers (in fresh plumage); lower back and rump dull yellow, uppertail-coverts black or blackish with dull yellow tips; tail and wing black, tips of inner greater coverts deep yellow, bases of outer primaries white (forming small square patch on closed wing, short wingbar in flight), dull yellow on distal part of outer edges of tertials; belly and flanks to undertail-coverts dull yellow; iris dark brown; bill dark grey or blackish-horn, paler base of lower mandible; legs pale brown to pinkish-brown. Female has head to lower back slate-grey (may show black feather bases), rump dull yellow or olive-yellow, uppertail-coverts dark grey, fringed dull yellow; tail black or blackish-grey; wing as on male, but blackish-grey (not black), inner greater coverts tipped pale olive-yellow, flight-feathers finely edged olive-yellow, white patch at base of outer primaries smaller, tertials edged pale yellow or yellowish-buff and tipped paler greyish-white; face and underparts slightly paler grey, finely streaked whitish on cheek, ear-coverts and throat to centre of breast; belly greyish-yellow, becoming yellowish-olive on undertail-coverts; bare parts much as for male. Juvenile is like female, but browner, with pale feather tips on head and upperparts, median and greater upperwing-coverts brown, tipped olive-yellow; first-winter more similar to adult female (without pale tips); first-summer male also like female, but with olive wash on mantle, upper back and wing-coverts, brighter yellow rump and uppertail-coverts, and patches of dark grey and dull whitish spots on throat and breast. Race speculigerus is slightly smaller than nominate, upperparts more slate-grey, less intensely black, female paler grey above and below.

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.

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.

Submontane and montane juniper (Juniperus) and spruce (Picea) forest, mixed fir (Abies) and deciduous forest with rhododendron (Rhododendron), dwarf juniper and bamboo, also sparse bushes and scattered scrub on slopes at or above tree-line; In N Pakistan found principally in junipers, including patches of dwarf or creeping juniper and juniper scrub along tree-line. Breeds at 1900–3000 m in Kazakhstan, to 4260 m in Himalayas (usually higher E of Himachal Pradesh) and to 4600 m in NW China. In non-breeding season in similar habitat at lower levels in foothills and adjacent plains; down to 2800 m in China, usually down to 1000 m in C Asia, and exceptionally down to 1500 m in Himalayas after severe cold weather. Recorded at 1100 m in Jul in Bhutan.

Partial altitudinal migrant. Some from higher areas descend to 1000–2400 m in non-breeding season between Nov and Apr, and usually most numerous at lower levels in late winter (late Feb to Apr) in years when conifer crop poor or fails; in Himalayas exceptionally down to 1500 m, but many sedentary at high altitudes (to 4200 m) unless winter weather particularly severe. Irregular non-breeding visitor to Adung Valley, in N Myanmar.

Mostly juniper berries (with pulp discarded), also berries of dogwood (Cornus), also seeds of spruce and mountain ash (Cerasus), rose hips (Rosa), docks (Rumex) and strawberries (Fragaria). Nestlings fed with juniper seeds and bark-dwelling weevils (Curculionidae), Orthoptera larvae and leafhoppers (Cicadellidae). Forages on the ground, often spending long periods in one area; also in low bushes and in trees. When disturbed from ground, flies to top of nearby tree before returning to feeding area; also spends long periods inactively perched on secluded or open branch. A noisy feeder; uses large bill to break open hard shells, and drops shell and pulp to ground. Usually in pairs or in small to medium-sized flocks of up to 90 individuals; in non-breeding season often in mixed foraging flocks with other finches, including M. melanozanthos and <em>Carpodacus rhodochlamys</em> .

Noisy and extremely vocal; most calls given from fairly high perch, occasionally near ground. Calls of male include low-pitched, grating "goink" and more rapid and harsh "chet-et-et-et" or "chet-tet-tet-tet", female similar but harsher and usually concludes with rattling "chitititititit"; also soft nasal "shwenk" or "chwenk" and more strident "wit" or "wet", latter sometimes extended into "wet-et-et" or rhythmic "add-a-dit" phrase and frequently repeated. Song, rarely heard, a longer sequence of grating calls, usually in melodious piping sequence and continuing into "add-a-dit-di-di-di-dit" or "dja-dji-dji-dju".

Season May–Sept. Monogamous. Solitary. Nest built by female, a loose or bulky cup of fine twigs, plant stems and fibres, juniper bark strips and grass, on a platform of twigs, placed up to 2 m (sometimes to c. 20 m) above ground and well concealed by surrounding foliage in spruce or juniper tree, sometimes other tree. Clutch 2–3 eggs, exceptionally 4–5, dull white, marbled with violet and dark brown blotches, spots and lines; incubation by both sexes, mainly by female, period 15–16 days; nestling period 17–18 days; young fed by parents for at least one week and possibly for up to two months after leaving nest.