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Montana Field Guides

Black Rosy-Finch - Leucosticte atrata

Species of Concern
Native Species

Global Rank: G4
State Rank: S2
(see State Rank Reason below)


Agency Status
USFWS: MBTA; BCC10
USFS:
BLM:
FWP SWAP: SGCN2, SGIN
PIF: 2



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Copyright by: The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, all rights reserved.
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Species is an alpine specialist and breeds in the mountain ranges of southwest Montana. Populations are generally limited. It has declined precipitously since the 19070s across its range and appears to have continued to decline in Montana in recent years. The primary threat facing the species is loss of alpine tundra and snowpack due to a warming climate.
Black Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte atrata) Conservation Status Summary
State Rank: S2
Review Date = 10/21/2024
How we calculate Conservation Status
Rarity: VeryUncommonVeryCommon Threats: HighlyThreatenedUnthreatened Trends: RapidlyDecliningDecliningStableIncreasing Rank: S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 CriticallyImperiledSecure

See the complete Conservation Status Report
 
General Description
The Black Rosy-Finch is a medium-sized, slightly stocky finch of about 14 to 16 cm in length and 22 to 32 grams in weight, with a medium-sized bill for eating seeds. The sexes are similar in size and coloration, but the male plumage contrasts more and is more colorful. Males are a uniform dark brownish-black on the back, breast, neck, and face below the eye. The feathers of the belly, rump, upper- and under-tail coverts, and the bend of the wing (wrist) are broadly tipped with pink (more narrowly and reddish in summer). The forecrown is black; there is a silver-gray band around the hindcrown. The nasal tufts are white, and the tail is notched. The bill is yellow in winter and black during the breeding season. The legs are black and the under wings appear silvery during flight. Females are similar but with the body a lighter grayish-brown, the back more streaked, and the pink feathers reduced or absent; the gray on the hindcrown is often absent by midsummer. Juveniles are similar in appearance to females, but lighter (usually more gray-brown), and lacking the silver-gray hindcrown, black forehead, and pink on the feather margins (Johnson 2002).

For a comprehensive review of the conservation status, habitat use, and ecology of this and other Montana bird species, please see Marks et al. 2016, Birds of Montana.

Diagnostic Characteristics
The Black Rosy-Finch is most likely to be confused only with other rosy-finches. The Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch is much lighter and brownish overall, with more extensive pink to red feather margins that contrast less with the brown plumage. The Brown-capped Rosy-Finch lacks the silver-gray on the head and is much lighter and browner-bodied (almost golden in males). Ranges of the three species rarely overlap during the breeding season (Johnson 2002).

Species Range
Montana Range Range Descriptions

All Ranges
Year-round
Summer
Migratory
(Click legend blocks to view individual ranges)

Western Hemisphere Range

 


Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 420

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

SUMMER (Feb 16 - Dec 14)
Direct Evidence of Breeding

Indirect Evidence of Breeding

No Evidence of Breeding

WINTER (Dec 15 - Feb 15)
Regularly Observed

Not Regularly Observed


 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Migration
The Black Rosy-finch is mainly an altitudinal migrant, but many move south and east 200 to 450 km beyond the breeding range (Johnson 2002). Most Black Rosy-finches breeding in Montana move out of the state an undetermined distance during winter (Johnson 2002).

Habitat
Habitat use in Montana has not been studied, but is similar to other regions (P. Hendricks, personal observation), where Black Rosy-Finches are known to nest in crevices in cliffs and talus among glaciers and snowfields above timberline (also possibly in abandoned buildings above treeline) and forage in barren, rocky or grassy areas adjacent to the nesting sites; in migration and winter they also occur in open situations, fields, cultivated lands, brushy areas, and around human habitation (American Ornithologists' Union 1983, Johnson 2002). They may roost in mine shafts or similar protected sites. During some winters individuals move out onto the shortgrass and midgrass prairies to feed (Hendricks and Swenson 1983, Johnson 2002).

Ecological Systems Associated with this Species
  •  Details on Creation and Suggested Uses and Limitations
    How Associations Were Made
    We associated the use and habitat quality (common or occasional) of each of the 82 ecological systems mapped in Montana for vertebrate animal species that regularly breed, overwinter, or migrate through the state by:
    1. Using personal observations and reviewing literature that summarize the breeding, overwintering, or migratory habitat requirements of each species (Dobkin 1992, Hart et al. 1998, Hutto and Young 1999, Maxell 2000, Foresman 2012, Adams 2003, and Werner et al. 2004);
    2. Evaluating structural characteristics and distribution of each ecological system relative to the species' range and habitat requirements;
    3. Examining the observation records for each species in the state-wide point observation database associated with each ecological system;
    4. Calculating the percentage of observations associated with each ecological system relative to the percent of Montana covered by each ecological system to get a measure of "observations versus availability of habitat".
    Species that breed in Montana were only evaluated for breeding habitat use, species that only overwinter in Montana were only evaluated for overwintering habitat use, and species that only migrate through Montana were only evaluated for migratory habitat use.  In general, species were listed as associated with an ecological system if structural characteristics of used habitat documented in the literature were present in the ecological system or large numbers of point observations were associated with the ecological system.  However, species were not listed as associated with an ecological system if there was no support in the literature for use of structural characteristics in an ecological system, even if point observations were associated with that system.  Common versus occasional association with an ecological system was assigned based on the degree to which the structural characteristics of an ecological system matched the preferred structural habitat characteristics for each species as represented in scientific literature.  The percentage of observations associated with each ecological system relative to the percent of Montana covered by each ecological system was also used to guide assignment of common versus occasional association.  If you have any questions or comments on species associations with ecological systems, please contact the Montana Natural Heritage Program's Senior Zoologist.

    Suggested Uses and Limitations
    Species associations with ecological systems should be used to generate potential lists of species that may occupy broader landscapes for the purposes of landscape-level planning.  These potential lists of species should not be used in place of documented occurrences of species (this information can be requested at: mtnhp.org/requests) or systematic surveys for species and evaluations of habitat at a local site level by trained biologists.  Users of this information should be aware that the land cover data used to generate species associations is based on imagery from the late 1990s and early 2000s and was only intended to be used at broader landscape scales.  Land cover mapping accuracy is particularly problematic when the systems occur as small patches or where the land cover types have been altered over the past decade.  Thus, particular caution should be used when using the associations in assessments of smaller areas (e.g., evaluations of public land survey sections).  Finally, although a species may be associated with a particular ecological system within its known geographic range, portions of that ecological system may occur outside of the species' known geographic range.

    Literature Cited
    • Adams, R.A.  2003.  Bats of the Rocky Mountain West; natural history, ecology, and conservation.  Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado.  289 p.
    • Dobkin, D. S.  1992.  Neotropical migrant land birds in the Northern Rockies and Great Plains. USDA Forest Service, Northern Region. Publication No. R1-93-34.  Missoula, MT.
    • Foresman, K.R.  2012.  Mammals of Montana.  Second edition.  Mountain Press Publishing, Missoula, Montana.  429 pp.
    • Hart, M.M., W.A. Williams, P.C. Thornton, K.P. McLaughlin, C.M. Tobalske, B.A. Maxell, D.P. Hendricks, C.R. Peterson, and R.L. Redmond. 1998.  Montana atlas of terrestrial vertebrates.  Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT.  1302 p.
    • Hutto, R.L. and J.S. Young.  1999.  Habitat relationships of landbirds in the Northern Region, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station RMRS-GTR-32.  72 p.
    • Maxell, B.A.  2000.  Management of Montana's amphibians: a review of factors that may present a risk to population viability and accounts on the identification, distribution, taxonomy, habitat use, natural history, and the status and conservation of individual species.  Report to U.S. Forest Service Region 1.  Missoula, MT: Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana.  161 p.
    • Werner, J.K., B.A. Maxell, P. Hendricks, and D. Flath.  2004.  Amphibians and reptiles of Montana.  Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Company. 262 p.

Food Habits
Black Rosy-Finches forage on the ground for seeds. In the spring and summer they glean wind-transported insects from the snow. Later in the season they glean insects from vegetation and catch flying insects, as well as continuing to feed on seeds. Winter foods include seeds taken from the ground, from stalks protruding through the snow, and at bird feeders (Johnson 2002).

Ecology
Males typically outnumber females in breeding and wintering populations. During the breeding season males defend a "territory" around the female wherever she moves (Ryser 1985, Johnson 2002). Black Rosy-Finches are commonly found in large flocks when not breeding, sometimes in flocks composed of other rosy-finch species.

Reproductive Characteristics
Little information is available for Montana as few nests have been discovered. Nest dates for Montana may be similar to those for Wyoming which occur from July 1 to August 11 (Johnsgard 1986). Young have been observed in July just post-fledging (Davis 1961).

In general, clutch size is usually 4 to 5, sometimes 3 or 6 (based on 13 nests). Incubation, by the female alone, lasts 12 to 14 days. Both adults tend the young until they fledge at about 20 days of age. After nest departure the young remain with the parents for another 14 days (Johnson 2002).

Management
No special management action appears to be required at this time.


References
  •  Literature Cited Above
  •  Additional References
  •  Web Search Engines for Articles on "Black Rosy-Finch"
  •  Additional Sources of Information Related to "Birds"
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Citation for data on this website:
Black Rosy-Finch — Leucosticte atrata.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from