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Photo: Dûrzan cîrano / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Pale Rockfinch

Carpospiza brachydactyla

Pale Rockfinch (Carpospiza brachydactyla) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.

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The Pale Rockfinch (Carpospiza brachydactyla) is a member of the Passeridae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 22.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Passeridae Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
  4. Genus Carpospiza
  5. Species brachydactyla

Where it lives

South-central Palearctic in arid bushy broken terrain: south-central, southeastern Turkey through Armenia and western, southern Azerbaijan to Iran, southern Turkmenistan and west-central Afghanistan, patchily south through Syria to southern Israel, to northern, central Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Musandam Pen. (northern, central, eastern Arabian Pen.)

Quick facts

Weight
22.3 g
Family
Passeridae

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Pale Rockfinch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Behaviour

A bird of rocky terrain, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Pale Rockfinch is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Pale Rockfinch (Carpospiza brachydactyla) belongs to the Passeridae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL sc Palearctic in arid bushy broken terrain: sc, se Turkey through Armenia and w, s Azerbaijan to Iran, s Turkmenistan and wc Afghanistan, patchily s through Syria to s Israel, to n, c Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Musandam Pen. (n, c, e Arabian Pen.).

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22.3 g, with a wing length of about 9.4 cm and a tail of around 5.6 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 1.6 million km².

Songs & calls

Pale Rockfinch — Song

Recorded by Geoff Carey Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Pale Rockfinch?

The Pale Rockfinch is a small bird that weighs around 22.3 g.

Where does the Pale Rockfinch live?

The Pale Rockfinch is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL sc Palearctic in arid bushy broken terrain: sc, se Turkey through Armenia and w, s Azerbaijan to Iran, s Turkmenistan and wc Afghanistan, patchily s through Syria to s Israel, to n, c Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Musandam Pen. (n, c, e Arabian Pen.), where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Pale Rockfinch belong to?

The Pale Rockfinch (Carpospiza brachydactyla) belongs to the Passeridae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Pale Rockfinch eat?

The Pale Rockfinch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Does the Pale Rockfinch migrate?

The Pale Rockfinch is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Pale Rockfinch 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 Pale Rockfinch make?

1 real field recording of the Pale Rockfinch — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Pale Rockfinch's range?

The Pale Rockfinch has a mapped global range of about 1.6 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

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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