Sharpe's Rosefinch

Carpodacus verreauxii (David, A & Oustalet, 1877)

≈15 cmLength23 gWeight

The male has a pale pink supercilium and rump, and bold black streaks on the back.

Busiest months: May–June · Most records: China

Looks like Spot-winged Rosefinch

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Male: supercilium pale pink
Male: bold black streaks on the back
Male: rump pale pink
Tail long, tail tip slightly notched

Male, female and young

The male has pale pink underparts; the female has gray-olive-brown to gray-brown upperparts with heavy black streaks; the juvenile resembles the female.

Voice

A short, sharp, metallic “spink spink”.

Similar species

Spot-winged Rosefinch

Sharpe's Rosefinch has a smaller bill, and the male is paler pink overall, with a bright pink rump.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May–June · Most records: China

Sharpe's Rosefinch has been recorded at 37 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Balang Shan – Tunnel AreaChina75 records
Wawu Mountain – Summit [2800m]China48 records
Balang Shan [General Area]China40 records

More places

Erlang ShanChina37 records
Wawu Mountain [General Area]China28 records
Cangshan – Horse Pond [Summit]China17 records
Laojunshan – Liju VillageChina15 records
Laojunshan – BomiluoChina15 records
Shangri-La Alpine Botanical GardenChina12 records
Balang Shan PassChina10 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

Sharpe's rosefinch (Carpodacus verreauxii) is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in central China and far northern Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Sharpe's Rosefinch?

The Sharpe's Rosefinch is about ≈15 cm long and weighs around 23 g.

Where does the Sharpe's Rosefinch live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: southeastern Palearctic in Hengduan Mountains, in montane edge, scrub, alpine meadows: western, southern Sichuan to far northern, northeastern Myanmar and northwestern Yunnan (southwestern China). It is most often recorded in China.

When is the best time to see the Sharpe's Rosefinch?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May and June (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Sharpe's Rosefinch endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Sharpe's Rosefinch as Least Concern.

What does the Sharpe's Rosefinch eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Sharpe's Rosefinch in?

It belongs to the family Finches, Euphonias (Fringillidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: ≈15 cm
Weight: 23 g
Habitat: Shrubland
Diet: Seeds
Lifestyle: Varied
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 72 mm
Tail: 70 mm
Bill: 12 mm
Tarsus: 17 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: southeastern Palearctic in Hengduan Mountains, in montane edge, scrub, alpine meadows: western, southern Sichuan to far northern, northeastern Myanmar and northwestern Yunnan (southwestern China)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2