Long-tailed rosefinch

Uragus sibiricus

Photo by M. Nishimura (Wikipedia)

Common name:
long-tailed rosefinch (en); peito-rosado-rabilongo (pt); roselin à longue queue (fr); camachuelo colilargo (es); meisengimpel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Fringillidae

Range:
This species breeds in two separate regions of Asia, one from southern Siberia southwards into northern Mongolia and eastwards into south-eastern Russia and northern Japan, the other region is in central and southern China from Xizang, Shaanxi and Shanxi to Sichuan and Yunnan.The Siberian populations winter in Kazakhstan and north-western China, the far eastern populations winter in Korea and southern Japan, and the Chinese populations are resident.

Size:
These birds are 16-18 cm long and weigh 16-26 g.

Habitat:
The long-tailed rosefinch is found in temperate forests, particularly in dense willow Salix and birch Betula thickets, as well as in grasslands, scrublands and reedbeds.

Diet:
They feed mainly on seeds, berries and buds of various plants such as cherries Prunus and honeysuckle Lonicera.

Breeding:
Long-tailed rosefinches breed in May-August. The nest is cone shapes and made of stems and twigs lined with plant down, finer twigs and hair. There the female lays 4-6 eggs but there is no information regarding the incubation and fledging period. Each pair raises a single brood per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common, although rare or scarce in some areas. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.