Leucosticte nemoricola
The Plain Mountain Finch, *Leucosticte nemoricola*, is a robust, high-altitude specialist finch native to the formidable mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. Measuring approximately 14-17 cm (5.5-6.7 inches) in length with a wingspan of 26-28 cm (10.2-11 inches) and weighing 25-35 grams, its plumage is subtly beautiful, primarily dull brown or greyish-brown, often with a distinctive silver-grey crown and nape that contrasts with a darker facial mask extending across the lores and chin. ...
This species exclusively inhabits high-altitude alpine and subalpine environments, favoring rocky slopes, scree fields, glaciers, and open tundra above the treeline, often descending to mountain valleys and lower slopes during harsh winters.
Primarily granivorous, feeding on seeds from alpine grasses and other high-altitude plants, supplemented significantly by insects and other small invertebrates, particularly during the breeding season. They primarily forage on the ground, often around snow patches.
Plain Mountain Finches are predominantly diurnal, often seen foraging in compact, often large, flocks outside the breeding season, which can number in the hundreds and provide warmth and safety in their exposed habitats. They employ a ground-gleaning foraging strategy, meticulously searching for ...
The Plain Mountain Finch boasts an extensive range across the formidable mountain systems of Central and South Asia. Its primary breeding grounds span from the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, eastward through the vast Himalayas of Pakistan, I...
Least Concern
- The Plain Mountain Finch is one of the highest-dwelling passerines in the world, regularly breeding at altitudes exceeding 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) and sometimes even higher. - Unlike many birds, its bill changes color seasonally: bright yellow during the breeding season and dark horn-colored...