Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
Basic description
This yellow and brown songbird is among the toughest birds. Gray-crowned finches nest in the highest parts of North America's tallest mountains - the Brooks Range, Rockies, Cascades, and Sierra Nevada - as well as the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands in Alaska. These little birds have pink bellies and feathers as they feed, as is easy, on snow fields, forbidden obstacles, strong winds or heavy rains. In winter, they go down the slopes to avoid heavy snow and can go to the feeders, sometimes next to other finches. Back-to-back tips
Gray-crowned finches may go and feed the birds back in the winter. They readily eat black oil sunflower seeds scattered on the ground or on platform feeders. Interesting facts
The gray-crowned finch may hold the record for the highest breeding bird in North America, as it nests on the slopes of Denali, the continent's highest peak.
Perhaps because of the remote location of the breeding ground, which allows it to interact with humans, the Grey-crowned Finch seems almost fearless and gives people human opportunity to approach. Between 1983 and 1993, three species of North American finch were combined with the Asian finch (Leucosticte arctoa) into one species. But later, genetic, biochemical, and morphological evidence prompted scientists to further divide the group into four types: Asian, gray, brown, and black. The oldest recorded Gray-crowned finch was a female at least 6 years and 7 months old when she was recaptured and released during a banding operation in Alaska. Find this bird.
Grey-crowned finches are often sought after by hikers, especially in summer when they are high in the dry mountains near the snowline. During the winter, they tend to descend to higher altitudes, where they can often be with the foragers in certain areas. Connect with local bird watchers or check eBird to help find this migratory species. They are also easy to find on the remote islands of Alaska, if you are lucky enough to visit them.
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