Photo: Pierre Dalous / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-winged Snowfinch
Montifringilla nivalis
White-winged Snowfinch (Montifringilla nivalis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-winged Snowfinch (Montifringilla nivalis) is a member of the Passeridae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 36.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Passeridae Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
- Genus Montifringilla
- Species nivalis
Where it lives
Southwestern, central Palearctic in rocky alpine barrens, meadows, buildings: northern Spain, southern France to Austria, Corsica, Balkans and Greece, southern, eastern Turkey, Caucasus to southwestern Russia, southern, northwestern Iran, central, eastern Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and southeastern Kazakhstan through Xinjiang (northwestern China), far south-central Russia and western, central Mongolia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 36.9 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Passeridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-winged Snowfinch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of rocky terrain, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The White-winged Snowfinch is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The White-winged Snowfinch (Montifringilla nivalis) is a member of the Passeridae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL sw, c Palearctic in rocky alpine barrens, meadows, buildings: n Spain, s France to Austria, Corsica, Balkans and Greece, s, e Turkey, Caucasus to sw Russia, s, nw Iran, c, e Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and se Kazakhstan through Xinjiang (nw China), far sc Russia and w, c Mongolia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 36.9 g, with a wing length of about 11.9 cm and a tail of around 7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 4.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-winged Snowfinch?
The White-winged Snowfinch is a small bird that weighs around 36.9 g.
Where does the White-winged Snowfinch live?
The White-winged Snowfinch is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL sw, c Palearctic in rocky alpine barrens, meadows, buildings: n Spain, s France to Austria, Corsica, Balkans and Greece, s, e Turkey, Caucasus to sw Russia, s, nw Iran, c, e Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and se Kazakhstan through Xinjiang (nw China), far sc Russia and w, c Mongolia, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the White-winged Snowfinch belong to?
The White-winged Snowfinch (Montifringilla nivalis) belongs to the Passeridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-winged Snowfinch eat?
The White-winged Snowfinch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the White-winged Snowfinch migrate?
The White-winged Snowfinch is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the White-winged Snowfinch endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the White-winged Snowfinch make?
1 real field recording of the White-winged Snowfinch — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-winged Snowfinch's range?
The White-winged Snowfinch has a mapped global range of about 4.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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