Page created on : December 8, 2001
Last updated : August 6, 2004

The gray-crowned rosy-finch is perhaps one of the most elusive of Canadian birds, detectable only by its melodious warble which resembles that of a goldfinch, or by the in-flight chattering that can be heard when it moves in flocks.

The plumage of this small songbird helps it to blend into the rocky surroundings which it inhabits. The gray-crowned rosy-finch can be found atop mountains well above the tree line, in grassy patches among slopes and along cliffs ­ in nests of dried grass, rootlets, plant down, moss and feathers constructed in crevices and under rocks.

These birds are mainly ground feeders that forage for seeds of weeds and wild plants. During breeding season, they capitalize on the abundance of insects and switch to a more protein-rich diet. After mating, females lay eggs in groups of four or five, and incubate them for 12 to 14 days.

Gray-crowned rosy-finches are western birds, summering in the Yukon, British Columbia and Alberta and, from late fall to early spring, dwelling in valleys and along the BC coast, as well as on the steppes of Alberta and Saskatchewan.