This is an archive article published on December 12, 2023
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Bird Watch: The size of a sparrow, Common Rosefinch loves to feast on mulberries, buds and seeds
The male Common Rosefinch has a red head, breast and rump while the female is a dull brown bird with streaking on its breast and upper parts, and two white wing bars.
The male Common Rosefinch has a red head, breast and rump while the female is a dull brown bird with streaking on its breast and upper parts, and two white wing bars. (Express Photo)
The Common Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus), also known as Scarlet Rosefinch, is just 14.5-15 cm in size and loves to stay in flocks.
A common resident bird of the Inter-State Chandigarh Region (ISCR), ideal spots to observe this bird include Morni Hills, Kasauli, and Chakimod, especially in cultivation areas with bushes.
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Mulberries, buds, seeds and small invertebrates are its favourite diet. Male and female Common Rosefinches differ in colour, but both have short stout bills. The male Common Rosefinch has a red head, breast and rump while the female is a dull brown bird with streaking on its breast and upper parts, and two white wing bars.
The pair places its nest low in bushes and the female lays at least four to five dark blue eggs with coarse dark brown spots.
Often, the female Common Rosefinch is confused with the female house sparrow. It is, in fact, a sparrow-sized bird with an overall body weight of 21-27 grams. Its whistle is typically a three-note song.
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The Common Rosefinch is the most widespread finch in Asia and Europe. Two other finches – the Yellow-breasted Greenfinch and the European Goldfinch – are fairly common winter visitors in ISCR. Contrary to the Common Rosefinch, these two finches are found in shrubs, open forests and cultivated areas with trees. They do not prefer to stay in bushes like the Common Rosefinch. Besides India, Common Rosefinches breed in southern Iran to South-east China, Burma and Indochina. It is a vagrant bird in Sri Lanka.
The male Common Rosefinch has a red head, breast and rump while the female is a dull brown bird with streaking on its breast and upper parts, and two white wing bars. (Express Photo) 
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