Orange Bullfinch

The orange bullfinch is a finch native to northern India and Pakistan, in temperate montane forest. It is scarce in the forests of Astore District, Diamer, and the Kaghan and Neelum valleys. In spring and summer it is found in fir, pine, birch and mixed forest at about 3,500 m, coming down to 1,550–2,350 m in winter (Wikipedia, general species account).

It feeds primarily on the ground, in snow-covered areas and at the base of trees and bushes, and flocks often fly into tall trees at regular intervals and then return to the same ground. It eats mainly the hard-shelled seeds, buds, fruits and shoots of trees and large herbaceous shrubs, including birch, willow and cherry buds and catkins. SoIB 2023 treats it as a Western Himalayan endemic and rates it a Moderate conservation priority, a resident and altitudinal migrant with a Restricted range of about 14,900 km² and an inconclusive current trend of about +29% (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).