The black rosy-finch (Leucosticte atrata) is a small songbird found exclusively in North America. It breeds at high elevations in the mountains of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and New Mexico.
Breeding Range
The black rosy-finch breeds primarily in alpine and subalpine habitats at elevations between 7,500 and 14,000 feet. Its breeding range extends from central Alaska south along the coastal ranges and Sierra Nevada mountains to southern California, and east across the Rocky Mountains to northern New Mexico.
Some specific locations where the black rosy-finch nests during the summer breeding season include:
- Alaska Range
- Kenai Mountains
- Chugach Mountains
- Wrangell Mountains
- Saint Elias Mountains
- Brooks Range
- Coast Mountains in British Columbia
- North Cascades in Washington
- Sierra Nevada Mountains in California
- White Mountains in California
- Rocky Mountains in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana
- Uinta Mountains in Utah
- Sawatch Range in Colorado
- San Juan Mountains in Colorado
- Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico
Within these mountain ranges, the black rosy-finch seeks out rocky cliffs, talus slopes, alpine meadows, snowfields and other high elevation habitat for nesting. It tends to avoid densely forested areas.
Wintering Range
During winter, black rosy-finches migrate out of the alpine breeding areas to lower elevations. The majority winter in the western United States, but some may wander farther east into the Great Plains.
Typical wintering habitat includes:
- Mountain valleys
- Foothills
- Plateaus
- Cliffsides
- Canyon rims
- Open woodlands
- Alpine meadows
Some key wintering sites include:
- Eastern slopes of the Cascades in Washington
- Okanagan Valley in British Columbia
- Hell’s Canyon on the Idaho-Oregon border
- Snake River Plain in Idaho
- Wasatch Mountains in Utah
- Grand Canyon in Arizona
- Eastern foothills of the Rockies in Colorado and New Mexico
Winters are often spent in mixed flocks with other finch species like the gray-crowned rosy-finch. They forage on seeds of alpine tundra plants and intermountain shrubs such as sagebrush.
Migration
The black rosy-finch is considered short- to intermediate-distance migrant. Breeding birds travel south anywhere from 380 to 620 miles to reach wintering grounds. Banding studies have traced the migrations of some individuals:
- Birds breeding in Alaska’s Brooks Range winter in eastern Washington and British Columbia
- Breeding birds from Wyoming’s Teton Range migrate to winter in Utah
- Breeding birds from Colorado’s San Juan Mountains move to northeast Arizona and northwest New Mexico
Fall migration takes place starting in late August through October. Spring migration back to the breeding grounds occurs from late March through mid-May. Birds travel over mountain passes and along river valleys during migration.
Year-Round Range
Small populations of black rosy-finches occupy some high elevation habitats year-round instead of migrating. These areas include:
- Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming
- Glacier National Park in Montana
- Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho
- Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington
- Yosemite National Park in California
- White Mountains in California
In these locations, the finches move up and down mountain slopes to access food rather than undergoing long migrations. Flocks descend to lower elevations when heavy snow covers alpine areas in winter.
Population Strongholds
Some of the mountain ranges that support the largest breeding populations of black rosy-finches include:
- Sierra Nevada Mountains (52% of total population)
- Cascade Mountains (13%)
- Rocky Mountains (11%)
- Coast Mountains in British Columbia (6%)
- Alaska Range (6%)
The Sierra Nevada population is considered the heart of the species’ breeding range. Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks provide important protected breeding habitat.
Rare Vagrants
Black rosy-finches are rare but regular vagrants to some states outside their normal range. Stray individuals are spotted every few years in:
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Nebraska
- Kansas
- Oklahoma
- Texas
There are even a handful of records from states east of the Mississippi River, such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Massachusetts. These lost vagrants likely get pushed off course by weather conditions during migration.
Conclusion
In summary, the black rosy-finch breeds exclusively in mountainous areas of western North America at elevations above 7,500 feet. Its breeding range spans from Alaska to New Mexico. Outside the breeding season, it migrates altitudinally or geographically to lower elevations. The healthiest populations occur along the Pacific Coast and Rockies. Vagrant birds occasionally appear outside the normal range but these are rare events.
State/Province | Breeding Range | Winter Range |
---|---|---|
Alaska | Yes – Alaska Range, Brooks Range, Coastal Mountains | No |
British Columbia | Yes – Coast Mountains | Yes – Okanagan Valley, East Kootenay |
Washington | Yes – Cascades, Olympic Mountains | Yes – East Cascades Slope |
Oregon | No | Yes – Northeastern Oregon |
California | Yes – Sierra Nevada, White Mountains | No |
Idaho | No | Yes – Snake River Plain, Southeast Idaho |
Montana | Yes – Rocky Mountains | No |
Wyoming | Yes – Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountains | No |
Colorado | Yes – Rocky Mountains | Yes – Eastern Foothills |
Utah | Yes – Uinta Mountains, Wasatch Range | Yes – Wasatch Mountains |
New Mexico | Yes – Sangre de Cristo Mountains | Yes – Northwest New Mexico |
References
- Beadle, D. and Rising, J. (2002). Sparrows of the United States and Canada. Academic Press.
- Birds of North America Online. (2022). Black Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte atrata). Retrieved from https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/blkros.
- Dunn, J. and Alderfer, J. (2006). National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. National Geographic Society.
- Mack, D., Wang, Y., Curtis, P., Schoech, S. and Farmer, C. (2021). Black Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte atrata), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (A. F. Poole, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.blkros.01
- Sibley, D. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds (2nd ed.). Alfred A. Knopf.