Red-breasted Rosefinch

Carpodacus puniceus (Blyth, 1844(1845))

		male female
2018-02-18 Kosmostation. Ile Alatau National Park. 2019-01-13 Cosmostation. Ile Alatau National Park.	© Askar Isabekov © Askar Isabekov

Description

The forehead, supecillium, cheeks, throat, craw and breast of adult male Red-breasted Rosefinch are bright-red with silver-pink centers of feathers. Crown and back are greyish-brown with dark centers of feathers, uppertail is bright-pink. Belly and flanks are greyish-brown with dark lores of feathers. Undertail is greyish-brown, sometimes pink tinged. Flight feathers, upperwing coverts and tail feathers are dark-brownish with narrow pale edges. Legs and claws are black-brown, bill is dark-brown with slightly paler low mandible, and eyes are brown. Female is greyish-brown upperparts with dark lores of feathers and greenish-yellow uppertail. Head flanks, throat, craw, breast are greyish-brown with neat dark-brown streaks, the breast feathers have bright-yellow tips formed the spot which may has variable brightness. Other underparts are greyish-brown with dark speckles more dense on flanks and undertail. Flifgt feathers, upperwing coverts and tail feathers are dark-brownish with narrow pale edges, the edges of primaries have faint greenish-yellow tinge. Legs and claws are black-brown, bill is dark-brown with slightly paler low mandible. First-year male is similar to female but almost doesn't have yellow spot on breast. First-year female's uppertail is greyish-brown without yellow, barely paler than back. Sizes. Adult males: wing 117-123, tail 84-100, tarsus 23.8-26.5, bill 11.5-13 mm; first-year male: wing 112, tail 76, tarsus 25, bill 11.3 mm; females: wing 108-116, tail 77-86, tarsus 25.2-26, bill 12-13 mm. Weight:49.7 – 65.5 gr.

Distribution

The first and one only known in the world nest of Red-breasted Rosefinch was found in June 1967 at Zailiyskiy Alatau ridge (Bolshoye Almatinskoye lake) in upper reaches of Chukur river at 3300-3400 m, where birds nested and in the subsequent years. In summer Red-breasted Rosefinches repeatedly recorded in other points of this ridge, in Kungey Alatau (Kaskator), in Dzhungarskiy Alatau (Tyshkan), and also in upper reaches of Ular river (basin of Sayram) in Western Tien Shan. In spring 1991 the pair was observed in upper reaches of Yuzhnyi Issyk river.

Biology

Red-breasted Rosefinch is rare resident. It inhabits cliff and rock in nival and alpine zones at 2900-3400 m. In winter it occurs lower till to sub-alpine zone in rocks among juniper thickets, up to 2600 m. In Zailiyskiy Alatau near Bolshoye Almatinskoye lake in mid-May birds stay in pairs and their song was heard often. Displaying and copulation observed in 27 May 1965 and 24 June 1965. Nest is build by female, escorted by male, but not always. The first and one only known in the world nest was found in June 1967 at upper stream of Chukur river; nest located in wet chamber of crack in vertical cliff of north-eastern exposition, about 80 m from bottom and 40 m from top. It was obtained with help of twelve mountain-climbers, who only on third day after several attempts reached this crack. Nest was made from thin rootlets and dry grass mixed with hair. Clutch was contained from 4 pure white eggs rare spotted by dark-brown and light-brown mottles, speckles and hooks concentrated at blunt side of egg. Dimensions of eggs (n=3): 27.1-27.9 x 18.8-19.3 mm, weight 4.8, 4.9 and 5.0 g. (Other Carpodacus Rosefinches, nesting on bushes, have blue eggs). The female begins to incubate at last days of June probably. Only female incubates, male feed her. Near Bolshoye Almatinskoye lake three fledglings fed by female were observed 10 August 1975.

Subspecies

References

"Птицы Казахстана" том 5. "Наука". Алма-Ата, 1974. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005.