White-winged Snowfinch

Overview

The white-winged snowfinch (Montifringilla nivalis) is a small passerine bird that, despite its common name, is classified as a sparrow rather than a true finch. It is a stocky species currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Brown upperparts, white underparts, and a grey head with a long, narrow white wing panel.
• A large, stocky bird measuring 16.5–19 centimetres in length.
• In summer, the bird has a black bill and a black bib, both of which are lost in winter when the bill becomes yellow.
• A chattering song containing many trills, accompanied by a variety of rolling or creaky calls.

Habitat

A resident breeding species found on bare mountains, typically above 1,500 metres, ranging across southern Europe and through central Asia to western China. It nests in crevices or rodent burrows, laying 3–4 eggs.

Diet

The diet consists mainly of seeds with some insects. The bird is fearless and will forage around ski resorts, showing remarkable hardiness by rarely descending below 1,000 metres even in hard winter weather.

Did you know?

The species was first described by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760, who referred to it by the French name 'Le pinçon de neige ou la niverolle'.