Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2020-06
| Common name: |
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch |
| Scientific name: | Leucosticte australis |
| Date: | 09 January 2020 |
| Time: | 1402 |
| Length of time observed: | 10 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | unknown |
| Sex: | unknown |
| Location: | LaSal Mountains, Loop Road, Pinhook Overlook |
| County: | Grand |
| Latilong: | 38.5602047, -109.2903614 |
| Elevation: | 7,620' |
| Distance to bird: | 75' |
| Optical equipment: | 8x42 Nikon binocular |
| Weather: | 30 F Cloudy BWS 3 Gentle breeze |
| Light Conditions: | Good. Bright. Cloud cover eliminated harsh shadows that are present in full sun. |
| Description: Size of bird: | Small. |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | More horizontal than vertical 'solid' body. |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Brownish uppers, pinkish flanks and belly. |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Strong, seed-cracking, cone shape. |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
Dark cap on rich, brown head. Cone shaped yellowish bill with dark tip. Neck and
back lighter brown than head, some contrast of color on feather edges. Flight
feathers dark with some lighter edging. Greater coverts much lighter.Rump
'rosy'. Tail slightly forked. Breast color like back and neck. Flanks and belly
'rosy'. Legs blackish. (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | "Chew" calls heard when the whole flock was in the air. |
| Behavior: | Erratic undulating flight in a tight flock of mixed birds - GCRF, BLRF, BCRF. They would fly out over the valley then pivot back to land and forage. Very active walking, running, hopping, then leapfrogging the birds ahead to fly a short distance and start again. Repeat across acres until they would bunch, and burst all together to fly >< 1/4 mile to start again. They worked thoroughly, sometimes across the terrain, sometimes flying to the bottom of the slope then working uphill. Small groups formed at times on the edge of the road, seeking gravel it appeared. |
| Habitat: |
Somewhat steep slopes, rocky outcrops. Pinyon Pine, Juniper and
Gambel's Oak had burned in early 2000's. Trees largely gone, mostly mixed grass,
low shrub, weeds. Black-top road runs thru it. |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch had very obvious gray crowns. Black Rosy-Finch had obvious black tints to plumage. Lucky for me, all 3 Rosy-Finch species were caught in the same photograph. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Very little experience! In 1991, I wintered in Slickrock CO and had a flock of Brown-capped Rosy-Finches come to my bird
feeder. I have seen a couple distant flocks of Black Rosy-Finches near the Book Cliffs in Grand County 2017-19, and saw Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches for the first time on 8 JAN 2020. |
| References consulted: |
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Birds of North America (birdsna.org) from Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
| Description from: |
From memory From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting |
| Observer: | Steve Heinrich |
| Observer's address: | 238 Miller Lane Castle Valley Utah 84532-9613 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: |
From my photos - Glenn Kincaid Marian and Nick Eason Janice Gardner Barb Smith |
| Date prepared: | 13 JAN 2020 |
| Additional material: | Photos |
| Additional comments: |
I believe I saw a BCRF the day before, on 08 JAN 2020. I went back on the 9th
to try for a photo - and got it. I'm assuming there were more than 1 BCRF in
the flock of ><150 finches. Rather unlikely I would see the same bird on both days. [later count of flock size was ><311 from a photo] |