Long-tailed Rosefinch (Carpodacus sibiricus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The Long-tailed Rosefinch is a small finch of northern and eastern Asia and is not a regular wild bird in the United States. Males are red and females are brown, and the long tail has white on its outer feathers. It is also called the Siberian Long-tailed Rosefinch.

Appearance

Appearance: About 6 in (15 cm) long, it has a noticeably long tail and two pale bars across its wings. Males show red feathers, while females are brown; the outer tail feathers have white areas.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Shrubby grassland
Woodland edges
Reedbeds
Range: It breeds in parts of Siberia, northeastern China, and northern Japan; some populations spend winter in Korea and farther south in Japan. There is no regular U.S. range.

Behavior

Diet: In its Asian range, it eats seeds and fruit, and also takes insects.

Name and classification

About the name: It was formerly called Uragus sibiricus. Some researchers treat the Chinese Long-tailed Rosefinch (Carpodacus lepidus) as a separate species.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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