Alternative names: Common Snowfinch; Eurasian Snowfinch
- Montifringilla nivalis
Identification
17 - 17.5cm. A large and long-winged Snowfinch.
- Conspicuous white panels on tail and wings in flight, narrow long wing-panel on ground
- Grey head with black bib in summer
- Dull earth-brown mantle
- Dirty wite underparts
- Bill black in summer, ivory in winter
Sexes are similar. The subspecies differ mainly in size and plumage tone, nivalis being the darkest.
Similar species
See Black-winged Snowfinch and Tibetan Snowfinch.
May be mistaken for a Snow Bunting in flight but note much darker body plumage and less white in wing.
Distribution
Found in mountain ranges from Western Europe (northern Spain) to the Alps, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan to China and Mongolia.
Common but usually local.
Taxonomy
Seven subspecies recognized:
- M. n. nivalis in Spain, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia and Greece
- M. n. leucura in Turkey
- M. n. alpicola in the Caucasus, Iran and Afghanistan
- M. n. gaddi in the Zagros mountains, Iran
- M. n. tianshanica in the Tien Shan (Kazakhstan) and the Pamir mountains (Tajikistan)
- M. n. groumgrzimaili in the eastern Tien Shan, northwest China, the Altai mountains (Russia) and Mongolia
- M. n. kwenlunensis in the mountains of southwest China (Xinjiang)
Both Tibetan Snowfinch and Black-winged Snowfinch have been included in this taxon in the past. All three form a superspecies.
Habitat
Mountains, mostly above the tree limit.
Behaviour
The diet includes seeds and insects.
It nests in crevices or rodent burrows, 3-4 eggs are laid.
