Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
(Leucosticte tephrocotis)

Overview

Summary

© Alan MacKeigan
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The Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch breeds above the tree line in the high mountains of western Canada; they may breed at higher altitudes than any other bird in North America (Macdougall-Shackleton et al. 2000). Because of the remoteness of its breeding habitat, it is not well surveyed and few population trend data are available. Continental Christmas Bird Count data for all three species of rosy-finches combined, the majority of which are Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches, suggest a moderate population decrease since the mid-1960s. However, it is unknown whether this decline has occurred in the Canadian portion of the population and the reliability of this assessment is considered low. The negative effects of climate change on snowfield habitats are the primary conservation concern (Macdougall-Shackleton et al. 2000). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• BirdLife International / NatureServe

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation of world population

Conservation and management

The Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch is a high alpine specialist species, requiring permanent snow fields for summer foraging habitat (Macdougall-Shackleton et al. 2000). If climate change continues to reduce the extent and quality of this habitat, this species has the potential to decline dramatically in the coming decades, particularly in the southern parts of its range (Kittel et al. 2002).

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Kittel, T.G. F., P.E. Thornton, J.A. Royle and T.N. Chase. 2002. Climates of the Rocky Mountains: historical and future patterns. pp. 59-82 In: Rocky Mountain Futures: an Ecological Perspective. Baron, J.S., Ed. Rocky Mountain Futures Island Press. Washington, DC.
• Macdougall-Shackleton, S.A., R.E. Johnson and T.P. Hahn. 2000. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Macdougall-Shackleton, S.A., R.E. Johnson and T.P. Hahn. 2000. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)