Brown-capped Rosy Finch (Leucosticte australis)

About the Brown-capped Rosy Finch

The brown-capped rosy finch (Leucosticte australis) is a medium-sized finch endemic to North America in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. Adults are brown on the head, back, and breast. The belly and rump are pink, with additional pink shading on the wings and tail. The pink is pronounced on the male but more subdued on the female. The forehead is black or grayish brown. The bill is yellow in winter and black in summer. These birds have short black legs and a long forked tail. Their breeding habitat is mountain peaks in the central Rocky Mountains of the United States. They build a cup nest in a cavity on a cliff, or re-use abandoned cliff swallow nests. In winter, these birds migrate short distances to lower elevations. After breeding, the female takes three days to finish the nest.