Scarlet Finch Carpodacus sipahi is resident in southern and southeast Tibet and western Yunnan. HABITAT Mainly broadleaf forests, breeding to 3500 m (11,480 ft.), wintering to 750 m (2,460 ft.). ID Male uniformly scarlet except on short tail and short wings, which are black with scarlet fringing. Female has bright yellow rump and yellow-olive upperparts and throat. Rest of underparts grey. Conspicuous dark grey scaling above and below. Tail and wings black with yellowish-olive fringing. First-year male like female but has orange-rufous tinge to yellow coloring. BARE PARTS Large bill yellow to flesh; legs pinkish-grey; iris brownish-grey, palest in adult male. VOICE Loud call, whee-ee!, lasting less than a second and repeated at intervals of several seconds. Three-note song, the last note drawn-out and clear. — Craig Brelsford
THE ROSEFINCHES OF CHINA
shanghaibirding.com covers all species in the genus Carpodacus in China. Click any link:
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus
Scarlet Finch C. sipahi
Streaked Rosefinch C. rubicilloides
Great Rosefinch C. rubicilla
Red-mantled Rosefinch C. rhodochlamys
Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch C. pulcherrimus
Chinese Beautiful Rosefinch C. davidianus
Pink-rumped Rosefinch C. waltoni
Pink-browed Rosefinch C. rodochroa
Dark-rumped Rosefinch C. edwardsii
Spot-winged Rosefinch C. rodopeplus
Sharpe’s Rosefinch C. verreauxii
Vinaceous Rosefinch C. vinaceus
Pale Rosefinch C. synoicus
Tibetan Rosefinch C. roborowskii
Sillem’s Rosefinch C. sillemi
Siberian Long-tailed Rosefinch C. sibiricus
Chinese Long-tailed Rosefinch C. lepidus
Pallas’s Rosefinch C. roseus
Three-banded Rosefinch C. trifasciatus
Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch C. thura
Chinese White-browed Rosefinch C. dubius
Red-fronted Rosefinch C. puniceus
Crimson-browed Finch C. subhimachalus
See also:
Taiwan Rosefinch Carpodacus formosanus
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Daniel Bengtsson served as chief ornithological consultant for Craig Brelsford’s Photographic Field Guide to the Birds of China, from which this species description is drawn.
