Brown-capped Rosy-Finch Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesBrown-capped Rosy-Finch
Nonbreeding adult
Stocky, medium-sized finch with a conical bill. Nonbreeding birds are brown overall with variable amounts of pink highlighting in the wings and belly. Note grayish crown and brown cheeks.
© Jacob Drucker / Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, December 20, 2016Breeding adult
Medium-sized finch. Breeding birds are brown overall with variable amounts of pink highlights on the lower belly and wings. The bill is black during the breeding season and yellow during the nonbreeding season.
© Joel Such / Macaulay LibraryColorado, July 16, 2018Nonbreeding adult
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryColorado, January 01, 2001Not all videos have sound
Juvenile
Juveniles are pale brown overall with buffy edging on the wings and often pink highlights.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibraryColorado, August 10, 2018Nonbreeding adult
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryColorado, January 01, 2001Not all videos have sound
Nonbreeding adult
Chunky brown finch. Nonbreeding birds have brown cheeks and a grayish brown, scaly looking crown.
© Jacob Drucker / Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, December 20, 2016Nonbreeding adult
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryColorado, January 01, 2001Not all videos have sound
Breeding adult
Stocky finch with a long notched tail. Breeding birds have a brown chest and cheeks with a pinkish lower belly.
© Bryan Calk / Macaulay LibraryColorado, April 29, 2019Nonbreeding adult
Winters in open areas, including alpine tundra during fair weather, and in high parks, meadows, and open valleys of grass or open shrubland between mountain ranges.
© Max Nootbaar / Macaulay LibraryColorado, July 06, 2018Similar SpeciesBlack Rosy-Finch
Nonbreeding adult
Black Rosy-Finches are darker overall, almost black, whereas Brown-capped Rosy-Finches are browner overall. They also have an obvious gray crown that Brown-capped lack.
© Eric Hynes / Macaulay LibraryColorado, February 12, 2017Similar SpeciesBlack Rosy-Finch
Juvenile
Juvenile Black Rosy Finches tend to be darker brown with buffy wingbars, whereas juvenile Brown-capped Rosy-Finches are paler and don't have well-defined wingbars.
© Jacob Drucker / Macaulay LibraryNevada, August 07, 2016Similar SpeciesGray-crowned Rosy-Finch
Adult (Gray-crowned)
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches have a more obvious gray crown than Brown-capped Rosy-Finches, which have a dark grayish brown crown.
© Taylor Abbott / Macaulay LibraryUtah, January 01, 2015Similar SpeciesGray-crowned Rosy-Finch
Adult (Hepburn's)
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches on the coast have a gray crown and gray cheeks unlike Brown-capped Rosy-Finches, which have a grayish brown crown and brown cheeks.
© Joshua Covill / Macaulay LibraryMontana, January 08, 2017Similar SpeciesGray-crowned Rosy-Finch
Juvenile
Juvenile Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches are brown overall like juvenile Brown-capped Rosy-Finches and are difficult to separate, but their breeding ranges do not overlap.
© Scott Ramos / Macaulay LibraryWashington, July 30, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Fringillidae)
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