Scarlet finch

The scarlet finch is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is found in the Himalayas from Uttarakhand state in the Indian Himalayas eastwards across Nepal, stretching further east to the adjacent hills of Northeast India and Southeast Asia as far south as Thailand. It is resident in the Himalayas, but many birds winter to the immediate south. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.

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Distribution

Region

Himalayas and Southeast Asia

Typical Environment

Occurs from the western Himalayas of northern India and Nepal across Bhutan to Northeast India and adjacent Myanmar, extending into southwest China (e.g., Yunnan) and northern Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Prefers montane broadleaf and mixed conifer forests, especially rhododendron and oak belts. Uses forest edges, clearings, and secondary growth, and can enter bamboo and shrubby thickets. Many populations move downslope in winter to nearby foothills and adjacent hill country.

Altitude Range

1500–3600 m

Climate Zone

Highland

Characteristics

Size16–19 cm

Wing Span25–30 cm

Male Weight0.04 kg

Female Weight0.035 kg

Life Expectancy7 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

Males are a striking, almost uniform scarlet, while females are olive-brown and heavily streaked for camouflage in dense foliage. The species breeds in cool, montane forests and often makes short altitudinal movements in winter. It is sometimes placed in the monotypic genus Haematospiza, reflecting its distinct genetics from typical rosefinches.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

social and active

Flight Pattern

undulating with rapid wingbeats

Social Behavior

Outside the breeding season it often forms small flocks that forage in the canopy or along forest edges. Pairs are monogamous and nest in trees or tall shrubs, usually well concealed. During breeding it can become more secretive around the nest.

Migratory Pattern

Partial migrant

Song Description

Song is a pleasant, mellow warble interspersed with clear whistles and trills. Calls include soft chips and tinkling notes used to keep contact within flocks.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Scarlet ibis

The scarlet ibis, sometimes called red ibis, is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its remarkably brilliant scarlet coloration makes it unmistakable. It is one of the two national birds of Trinidad and Tobago, and its Tupi–Guarani name, guará, is part of the name of several municipalities along the coast of Brazil.

Scarlet macaw

The scarlet macaw also called the red-and-yellow macaw, red-and-blue macaw or red-breasted macaw, is a large yellow, red and blue Neotropical parrot native to humid evergreen forests of the Americas. Its range extends from southeastern Mexico to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Honduras, and Brazil in lowlands of 500 m (1,600 ft) up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft), the Caribbean island of Trinidad, as well as the Pacific island of Coiba. Formerly, the northern extent of its range included southern Tamaulipas. In some areas, it has suffered local extinction because of habitat destruction, or capture for the parrot trade, but in other areas, it remains fairly common. It is the national bird of Honduras. Like its relative the blue-and-yellow macaw, the scarlet macaw is a popular bird in aviculture as a result of its striking plumage. It is the third most common macaw species in captivity after the blue-and-yellow and red-and-green macaw respectively. In recent years it has become much rarer in captivity and much more expensive due to stricter laws, its price being higher than even red-and-green macaws.

Scarlet minivet

The scarlet minivet is a small passerine bird in the cuckooshrike family Campephagidae. This minivet is found in tropical southern Asia from Northeast India to southern China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They are common resident breeding birds in forests and other well-wooded habitats including gardens, especially in hilly country. While the male of most subspecies are scarlet to orange with black upper parts, the females are usually yellow with greyish olive upper parts. Several former subspecies have been elevated to a species status in recent works. These include the orange minivet. All subspecies have the same habits of gleaning for insects and are often seen in mixed-species foraging flocks, usually foraging in small groups, high up in the forest canopy.

Scarlet myzomela

The scarlet myzomela or scarlet honeyeater is a small passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to Australia. It was first described by English ornithologist John Latham in 1801. At 9 to 11 cm long, it is the smallest honeyeater in Australia. It has a short tail and relatively long down-curved bill. It is sexually dimorphic; the male is a striking bright red with black wings, while the female is entirely brown. The species is more vocal than most honeyeaters, and a variety of calls have been recorded, including a bell-like tinkling.

Scarlet robin

The scarlet robin is a common red-breasted Australasian robin in the passerine bird genus Petroica. The species is found on continental Australia and its offshore islands, including Tasmania. The species was originally split in 1999 by Schodde and Mason, and as the original collection by Gmelin was from Norfolk Island, this retained the name of multicolor, and is now known as the Norfolk robin.