Himalayan white-browed rosefinch
喜山白眉朱雀 (xǐshān báiméizhūquè)
Carpodacus thura
17 cm
Formerly considered conspecific with very similar Chinese white-browed rosefinch. Nominate reported in China only in the Chumbi Valley in Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet; paler race blythi (which has pink wash to back) may occur further west in Tibet. Differs from Chinese white-browed by brown eye-stripe (joining brown on sides of nape); female has warm brown/olive-yellow wash across throat and upper breast, missing in Chinese. Male also quite similar to pink-rumped, Chinese and Himalayan beautiful rosefinch, but those are smaller and less uniformly brown on crown and upperparts, with more obvious streaking. Call of Chinese white-browed a lamblike bleat; Himalayan’s squeaky call recalls nervous laughter. — 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.
