Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.5–6.3 in
14–16 cm - Wingspan
- 13 in
33 cm - Weight
- 0.8–1.1 oz
22–32 g
Other Names
- Rosy Finch (in part)
- Roselin noir (French)
Cool Facts
- The breeding biology of the Black Rosy-Finch is unusual in that a male primarily defends a floating territory around his mate, rather than a fixed piece of real estate. As a result, males constantly chase other males that approach their mates too closely, and females are most readily located by looking near the center of all the fighting.
- Wintering flocks of Black Rosy-Finches roost in large communal roosts in caves, mine shafts, on rafters of barns, and in clusters of old Cliff Swallow nests.
- Black Rosy-Finches are among the least studied of North American birds because of the inaccessibility of their alpine habitat generally and their nest sites on cliffs in particular. Reflecting this, actual nests had been reached by only three researchers as of 2002.
Habitat
Mountains
Breeds in alpine areas, usually near rock piles, and cliffs. Winters in open country, including mountain meadows, high deserts, valleys, and plains.
Food
Seeds
Seeds and insects.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–6 eggs
- Egg Description
- White.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with sparse down.
Nest Description
Cup of grass and stems, lined with fine grass, hair, and occasionally feathers. Placed in crack or hole in cliff, on small cliff ledge under overhanging rocks, or under rocks in talus slides.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Picks up insects and seeds from surface of snow, mud, and tundra.
Conservation
Least Concern
No apparent population trends; might be declining.
Credits
- Johnson, R. E. 2002. Black Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte atrata). In The Birds of North America, No. 678 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.