The mountain finches are birds in the genus Leucosticte from the true finch family, Fringillidae. This genus also includes the rosy finches, named from their pinkish plumage.
| Mountain finches | |
|---|---|
| |
| Grey-crowned rosy finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
| Genus: | Leucosticte Swainson, 1832 |
| Type species | |
| Linaria tephrocotis[1] Swainson, 1832
| |
| Species | |
|
See text. | |
The genus is a sister to the monotypic Procarduelis containing the Asian dark-breasted rosefinch.[2] These birds are native to Asia and North America and are typically found in barren mountainous regions. Many species eat more insect material than other finches.
There are six species in the genus:[3]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Leucosticte nemoricola | Plain mountain finch | Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Tibet, and Turkmenistan. |
 |
Leucosticte brandti | Brandt's mountain finch | Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan |
 |
Leucosticte arctoa | Asian rosy finch | Mongolia and North Asia; it winters in Manchuria, Korea, Sakhalin and Japan |
 |
Leucosticte tephrocotis | Grey-crowned rosy finch | Alaska, western Canada, and the north-western United States. |
 |
Leucosticte atrata | Black rosy finch | Interior west |
 |
Leucosticte australis | Brown-capped rosy finch | central Rocky Mountains of the United States |
References
edit- ^ "Fringillidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- ^ Zuccon, Dario; Prŷs-Jones, Robert; Rasmussen, Pamela C.; Ericson, Per G.P. (2012). "The phylogenetic relationships and generic limits of finches (Fringillidae)" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 62 (2): 581–596. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.002. PMID 22023825.
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David (eds.). "Finches, euphonias". World Bird List Version 5.4. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 4 December 2015.