White-rumped Snowfinch

Onychostruthus taczanowskii (Przevalski, 1876)

≈18 cmLength32 gWeight

This snowfinch mainly inhabits alpine areas, grasslands and deserts at 3,000–4,500 m.

Busiest months: July–August · Most records: China

Least Concern

How to identify

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: July–August · Most records: China

White-rumped Snowfinch has been recorded at 62 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Rubber Mountain PassChina99 records
E'La Mountain PassChina84 records
Flower LakeChina84 records

More places

Xiaobeihu Freshwater MarshChina65 records
Qinghai Lake – K11 hillChina33 records
Longbao NNRChina31 records
Gahai LakeChina25 records
Temple of Princess WenchengChina24 records
Baizha ForestChina23 records
Qinghai Lake – Bird IslandChina15 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

The white-rumped snowfinch (Onychostruthus taczanowskii) is a species of passerine bird in the sparrow family Passeridae. It is the only member of the genus Onychostruthus. It is sometimes placed in the genus Montifringilla.

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

Questions

How big is the White-rumped Snowfinch?

The White-rumped Snowfinch is about ≈18 cm long and weighs around 32 g.

Where does the White-rumped Snowfinch live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: south-central Palearctic in Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe: high-montane southeastern Ladakh (far northwestern India), west to eastern Tibet, northeastern Qinghai and southern Gansu, south to northwestern Sichuan (central China) and south to northwestern Nepal and northern Sikkim. It is most often recorded in China.

When is the best time to see the White-rumped Snowfinch?

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

Is the White-rumped Snowfinch endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-rumped Snowfinch as Least Concern.

What does the White-rumped Snowfinch eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the White-rumped Snowfinch in?

It belongs to the family Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: ≈18 cm
Weight: 32 g
Habitat: Grassland
Diet: Seeds
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 103 mm
Tail: 68 mm
Bill: 14 mm
Tarsus: 24 mm

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

Range

Palearctic: south-central Palearctic in Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe: high-montane southeastern Ladakh (far northwestern India), west to eastern Tibet, northeastern Qinghai and southern Gansu, south to northwestern Sichuan (central China) and south to northwestern Nepal and northern Sikkim

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2