Rufous-necked snowfinch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rufous-necked snowfinch |
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| From Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in East Sikkim, India. | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Passeridae |
| Genus: | Pyrgilauda |
| Species: |
P. ruficollis
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| Binomial name | |
| Pyrgilauda ruficollis (Blanford, 1871)
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| Synonyms | |
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The rufous-necked snowfinch (Pyrgilauda ruficollis) is a small bird that belongs to the sparrow family. These birds are known for living in cold, high-altitude places. They were first described in 1871.
What Does It Look Like?
This snowfinch is about 15 centimeters (6 inches) long. It stands out in its natural home because of its bright colors. Adult birds have black patches near their eyes and mostly white faces. Their neck sides and the back of their ears are a reddish-brown color. The rest of their body feathers are light brown, with darker stripes on their back and shoulders.
Their wings have two white stripes. These stripes are made by the tips of their wing feathers. Young snowfinches look a bit paler than adults. They also do not have the clear face pattern that adult birds have.
The rufous-necked snowfinch can sometimes be mistaken for Blanford's snowfinch. However, the rufous-necked snowfinch has two black stripes on its face, which helps tell them apart. These birds have also developed a faster metabolism than most other birds. This helps them stay warm in very cold places. They can also handle low temperatures better and move around more easily.
What Does It Sound Like?
The rufous-necked snowfinch has a soft voice. When it senses danger, it makes a quick, chattering alarm call. When it flies, it also makes buzzing sounds.
How Does It Live?
These birds are very common in some areas. During the breeding season, they often live close to small animals called mouse-hares or pikas. The snowfinches use the burrows of these animals to build their nests and to hide.
When the breeding season is over, they often gather in small flocks. They travel across different mountain areas with other finches, like Blanford's snowfinches.
Their flight is not very strong and they usually fly low to the ground. They rarely fly long distances. Rufous-necked snowfinches find their food on the ground. They eat a mix of small seeds and insects.
Where Does It Live?
The rufous-necked snowfinch is naturally found in Tibet. It also lives in nearby parts of central and western China. It prefers high-altitude grassland areas, rocky steppes, and plateaus.
In winter, some of these birds travel south to places like Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan. They sometimes move to lower altitudes during this time. You can find them in wide, open meadows, pastures, and sometimes even near human settlements.
These birds usually stay in one area and do not travel far. They only make small movements to different altitudes if the weather becomes very bad. They do not make long-distance migrations.
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 | Juan E. Gilbert |
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