Leucosticte tephrocotis
The Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis) is a striking, medium-sized passerine, exquisitely adapted to the harsh, high-alpine environments of western North America. Measuring approximately 14-17 cm (5.5-6.7 in) in length with a wingspan of 30-33 cm (12-13 in) and weighing 22-35 g, this finch is characterized by its distinctive grey crown and nape, contrasting with a black forehead and lores, giving it a masked appearance. Its overall plumage is a rich brown, beautifully accented ...
Breeds in alpine and subalpine tundra, rocky slopes, scree fields, and glacial margins, often above the treeline. In winter, it descends to lower elevations but still favors open, windswept areas, including foothills and plains.
Primarily granivorous, feeding on seeds of various alpine plants and grasses, often gleaning them from the ground or snow surface. During the breeding season, their diet shifts to include a significant proportion of insects, such as stoneflies, grasshoppers, and flies, to provide essential protei...
Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches are largely diurnal, actively foraging for food throughout the day and often roosting communally in protected rock crevices or snow banks during severe weather. They are agile ground gleaners, frequently probing snow and ice patches for dormant insects and seeds, and can...
The Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch has a broad but disjunct breeding distribution across the high mountains of western North America. Its breeding grounds extend from Alaska and Yukon south through coastal British Columbia, the Cascades of Washington and Oregon, the Rocky Mountains of Montana, Idaho, Wy...
Least Concern
- The Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch is considered one of North America's highest-nesting passerines, often breeding above 2,500 meters (8,200 feet). - They possess an extraordinary tolerance for cold, capable of surviving sustained temperatures well below 0°F (-18°C), often by burrowing into snowdrifts...