White-winged Snowfinch

Montifringilla nivalis

Nests in alpine crags above the treeline, often in ski-lift stations. Built for thin air and bad weather.

Population: Roughly 1.7–7.47 million mature individuals globally (2018 estimate, extrapolated from European populations comprising ~15% of global range)
Habitat: High-altitude alpine zone: barren rocky ground, cliffs, and open meadows above the treeline up to the snow line, roughly 1,500(2,000)–5,300 m elevation; often near buildings, huts, and ski resorts
Fun fact: Despite its name, the White-winged Snowfinch is a true sparrow (family Passeridae) rather than a finch, and it is remarkably fearless around humans, readily foraging around ski resorts and huts, yet rarely descends below 1,000 meters elevation even in the harshest alpine winters.
Range: Mountain ranges of southern Europe (Pyrenees, Alps, Corsica, Balkans/Greece) east through Anatolia, the Caucasus, Iran, and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tien Shan, Pamirs) to Mongolia and northwestern China/Tibet; sedentary/non-migratory, only moving to slightly lower elevations in severe winter
Diet: Primarily granivorous (seeds, small fruits, young shoots), switching to insects and arthropods (grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars) during the breeding season; scavenges food scraps around ski resorts and feeders in winter
Size: 0.175 m
Wingspan: 0.36 m
Lifespan: 8 years

More Songbirds