Common Rosefinch

The common, or scarlet, rosefinch is the most widespread and common rosefinch of Asia and Europe, 13–15 cm long, with a stout, conical bill. The mature male has a brilliant rosy-carmine head, breast and rump, dark brown wings with two indistinct bars and a white belly; females and young males are dull, yellowish-brown above, brighter on the rump and greyer on the head, and buff below. The male's colour depends on environmental factors, diet and the presence of parasites rather than genetics (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds from the Danube valley, Sweden and Siberia to the Bering Sea, in the Caucasus, northern Iran and Afghanistan, the western Himalaya, Tibet and China, to Japan, and in winter is found from southern Iran to south-east China, India, Burma and Indochina. It has spread westward through Europe in recent decades. The nest is placed low in a bush, and a typical clutch is five dark blue eggs with coarse dark brown spots. SoIB 2023 rates it a Moderate conservation priority, a winter migrant and localised summer migrant that eats plants and seeds, with a Large range of about 354,000 km² and a current decline of about 3.8% a year (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).