Scarlet Finch

Species: (False) Gros-bec
Latin name: Haematospiza sipahi
English name: Scarlet Finch
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae

Description:

The Scarlet Finch is rarely kept in captivity. It is a superb bird that requires a great deal of attention.

The photos in the album show a ‘two-coloured’ pair resulting from poor colouration during moulting. Indeed, like the Venezuelan Red-billed Finch or the Melodious Linnet, the Scarlet Finch, without artificial colouring, risks losing its red colour and turning orange. The inset photo of the male, used to illustrate this fact sheet, shows just how magnificent this bird is when fully coloured.

It is found on the Himalayan plateaus, from central Nepal to north-eastern India and western China.

Its habitat: woods and the edges of clearings.

The male is scarlet red, except for his flight feathers and tail, which are partly black. His beak is yellow.

The female is a dull olive-green colour; her rump is yellowish, as is her beak.

Galerie