Aurora pimple

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aurora pimple
Systematics
Subordination : Songbirds (passeri)
Family : Finches (Fringillidae)
Subfamily : Goldfinches (Carduelinae)
Tribe : Carpodacini
Genre : Carrion Pickle ( Carpodacus )
Type : Aurora pimple
Scientific name
Carpodacus eos
( Stresemann , 1930)

The Aurora pimple ( Carpodacus eos , Syn . : Carpodacus waltoni eos ) is a songbird from the finch family . The smallest of the carmine raspberry species occurs in the mountains of the western People's Republic of China .

description

Appearance

With a body length of 12.5 cm, the Aurora pimple is slightly larger than a girlitz and thus the smallest species of the genus, the wing length is between 69 and 76 mm. The short, pointed bill is horn-brown, the feet are pale brown.

The sexes differ significantly in the color of the plumage. In the male forehead and throat are deep pink, this color runs out on the long and wide stripe above the eyes and towards the cheeks and chest in lighter pink. In the stripe above the eyes and on the cheeks and ear covers, white feather tips are scattered. The parting is dark pink with strong brown stripes. The reins and eye stripes are dark reddish-brown, the back of the ear covers, the nape and sides of the neck, and the back and shoulder feathers are gray-brown with a pink shade. On the back there is a broad, dark stripe. The rump and tail-coverts are pink with some brown on the centers of the longest feathers. The pile is dark brown. The underside is pink to dark pink with some darker feather centers. It becomes lighter towards the belly to whitish. The arm covers are gray-brown to dark brown with pink to beige tinted hems and tips. Fittich and hand covers are dark brown, the wings are also lined with beige-pink. The hems are wider on the umbrella springs.

The female is pale beige to gray-brown on top with a broad, dark stripe that exposes on the rump. The stripes above the eyes, chin and throat are a little lighter with fine dashes. The underside is pale beige with strong stripes that become finer towards the lower belly. The plumage of the wings and the control feathers are dark brown, partly with pale beige edges and tips.

The species is very similar to both the slightly larger bullfinch and the rose- browed bullfinch . Especially the females of these three species can hardly be distinguished in the field.

voice

The call is a strong pink or tink or a bunting- like tsip or tsick . Sometimes a bright piprit can be heard as with the bullfinch or a tinny rattling twit-itt-itt-itt-itt . The singing has not yet been described.

Distribution and existence

The monotypical species lives in southwest China from southern Qinghai south to southwest Sichuan and the extreme northwest of Yunnan . There are marginal deposits in southeastern Tibet . The aurora pimple is rare and little known. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN .

Way of life

The habitat requirements are similar to those of the bullfinch, which is mostly found in shrubs made of rhododendron , buckthorn , oak or juniper . The aurora pimple can mostly be found in more open habitats such as stony slopes or alpine grassland and at higher altitudes between 3950 and 4880 m. In Tibet he settles in dry valleys with bushy slopes, locations on the edge of the cultural landscape and alpine bushes. In winter, the species migrates to lower elevations or moves south to overwinter in the Likiang chain in northern Yunnan or in southeastern Tibet.

The aurora pimple usually occurs in pairs or in small groups. In winter, larger associations form, which socialize with the bullfinch. The food consists of seeds that are usually picked up from the ground. Nothing is known about the breeding biology.

literature

  • P. Clement, A. Harris, J. Davis: Finches and Sparrows. Helm Identification Guides, London 1993/1999, ISBN 0-7136-5203-9 .

Web links