Fun Black Rosy-finch Facts For Kids

Are you a bird-lover interested in learning about different species of birds? The black rosy-finch bird might interest you.

The black rosy-finch (Leucosticte atrata) is one of the cousins of the gray-crowned rosy-finch and the brown-capped rosy-finch found in North America. However, this species of bird lives at a higher elevation, except for in the winter season. They are found residing in Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Nevada.

Their range map shifts to New Mexico and Arizona from Wyoming and Montana in the winter. It belongs to the order Passeriformes, the family Fringillidae, and the genus Leucostict, just like their gray cousins. The black rosy-finch is a pretty social bird.

It feeds on seeds and insects and does not harm humans. It can be seen flying in huge communal groups, often roosting together.

If you want to read and learn more about black rosy-finch birds, then keep on reading. For more relatable content, check out these swallow facts and palm warbler facts for kids.

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Black Rosy-Finch Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a black rosy-finch?

The black rosy-finch (Leucosticte atrata) is a type of bird. It is one of three species of rosy-finches that are found in North America, with the gray-crowned rosy-finch and the brown-capped rosy-finch being the other two.

What class of animal does a black rosy-finch belong to?

The black rosy-finch belongs to the Aves class of the Animalia kingdom. This North American bird is a member of the order Passeriformes, the family Fringillidae, and the genus Leucosticte. The scientific name of this rosy-finch is Leucosticte atrata.

How many black rosy-finches are there in the world?

According to reports from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the number of mature black rosy-finch adults living in this world is between the range of 10,000-19,999. Moreover, the population of this species of the order Passeriformes, the family Fringillidae, and the genus Leucosticte is known to be decreasing steadily.

Where does a black rosy-finch live?

The range map of black rosy-finch birds is quite restricted. Their breeding range is in the rocky mountains and alpine tundra of western Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and northern Nevada.

Apart from Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Nevada, the bird also breeds and spends its summer in areas of Colorado and Idaho. After migration, they prefer lower elevations so they spend their winter in the south in areas like New Mexico and northern Arizona.

What is a black rosy-finch's habitat?

The black rosy-finch prefers living in alpine mountains and tundra that are above the treeline in the summer season. After migration in winter, they fly to lower elevations.

Who do black rosy-finches live with?

The behavior of these birds living in North America is quite social. They are seen to form large flocks to fly.

These flocks can sometimes include the gray-crowned rosy-finch and the brown-capped rosy-finch. They are even known to roost in these flocks. However, after the breeding season, each breeding pair prefers to stay in their pairs and avoid large groups.

How long does a black rosy-finch live?

The black rosy-finch can live up to eight and a half years in the wild. The average life expectancy of most finches is between four and seven years.

How do they reproduce?

These North American birds breed near the cliffs of rocky mountains and alpine tundra above the treeline in her habitats. Their breeding season begins in mid-January and goes on until mid-March.

Males and females form pairs and males sing and use various courtship displays to call for a mating partner. Males do not really take part in building the nests. After the pair breeds near the cliffs of alpine rocky mountains and alpine tundra above the treeline, they isolate themselves from their flocks.

Three to six eggs are laid after an incubation period of 11-14 days. The young birds stay under the protection of their parents and the breeding pair feed the young chicks till they are matured.

What is their conservation status?

According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the conservation status of the black rosy-finch (Leucosticte atrata) is Endangered. Their already low population is known to be diminishing further.

Black Rosy-Finch Fun Facts

What do black rosy-finches look like?

This medium-sized species of bird has a blackish gray crown. The breast and back of the bird are covered in black and the belly has a pink coloration. Apart from the belly, black rosy-finch wings and rumps also have the presence of pink colorings. They have long tails and short legs.

How cute are they?

Just like a strawberry finch, these North American birds appear to be extremely cute. Their black and pink colors add to their beauty.

How do they communicate?

This species of bird uses high-pitched calls to alarm others and low-pitched calls while flying. Black rosy finch songs can be heard during the breeding season when males try to attract female birds.

How big is a black rosy-finch?

Compared to other birds, the black rosy-finch is a medium-sized species of bird. The range of their body length falls between 5.5-6.3 in (14-16 cm). This rosy-finch is slightly bigger than the red finch that has an average body length of 4.9-5.9 in (12.5-15 cm).

How fast can a black rosy-finch fly?

Flocks of black rosy-finch birds are capable of flying as well as walking on the ground. A field guide might sometimes even find them hopping on the ground. Flocks of these birds in flight are known to be quite fast, just like their cousin, the brown-capped rosy-finch. However, their exact speed is not known.

How much does a black rosy-finch weigh?

The average weight of these birds of North America is somewhere between the range of 0.8-1.1 oz (22-32 g). It weighs almost the same as the chaffinch, which has a body weight of 0.6-1 oz (18-29 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

A male bird is referred to as a 'cock', and female birds are referred to as 'hens'.

What would you call a baby black rosy-finch?

Just like babies of all birds, a baby black rosy-finch is called a chick.

What do they eat?

The black rosy-finch follows an omnivorous diet. They mostly feed on seeds and small insects.

In the winter, the food of this bird is generally restricted to seeds from grasses and weeds. However, in their breeding ground, and in summer, they are known to feed on various small insects along with seeds. Black rosy-finches often come down to the ground in search of their food.

They pick up seeds from the surface of the snow or mud. Sometimes, they take the ground to chase insects as well. However, they are quite skilled in catching insects in flight, especially females.

Parents catch insects in flight from the cliff where they nest and feed them to their young birds. Seeds also become part of young birds' food habits.

Are they poisonous?

Similar to other finch breeds, like the saffron finch, the black rosy-finch is not known to be poisonous. In fact, they do not seem to pose any kind of threat.

Would they make a good pet?

The black rosy-finch shows social behavior. However, it does not adapt well to different climates. So, it can be assumed that they won't be able to adjust well in captivity outside their natural habitat.

Did you know...

Even though these birds from the order Passeriformes and the family Fringillidae build their nest near the cliffs of alpine rocky mountains and alpine tundra above the treeline in western Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and northern Nevada, they do face the threat of predators. Predators, including large birds, try to eat their eggs.

The breeding pair fly back and forth near the nest and chirp loudly while the predator is on the move. This is their way of chasing off predators.

Are black rosy-finches endangered?

There are only about 10,000-19,999 matured black rosy-finches left in this world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed these North American birds as Endangered in their Red List of threatened species.

Their population trend is also known to be decreasing further. The main reason for this poor condition is climate change.

The black rosy-finch is a type of bird that does not adapt well to climate changes. So, the extreme climate change in its range map has cost many of these North American birds their lives.

Another reason for this declining population is habitat destruction due to human activities. Even though no recovery plans are in action as of now, one is needed soon to save the population of this beautiful bird.

What's unique about a black rosy-finch?

This rosy-finch has a unique pouch at the bottom of its mouth. It uses the pouch to store extra food for its chicks.

This pouch also helps them during migration to lower elevations or to fly long distances from their nest or breeding range. When compared to other rosy-finches, the black rosy finch is also unique for its pink color in its belly. Living in higher elevations, it is one of the least studied rosy-finches.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our eastern kingbird interesting facts and Amazon parrot fun facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable black rosy finch coloring pages.