The mountain finches are birds in the genus Leucosticte from the true finch family, Fringillidae. This genus also includes the rosy finches, named from their pinkish plumage.
The genus is a sister to the monotypic Procarduelis containing the Asian dark-breasted rosefinch. These birds are native to Asia and North America and are typically found in barren mountainous regions. Many species eat more insect material than other finches.
There are six species in the genus: Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Leucosticte nemoricola Plain mountain finch Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Tibet, and Turkmenistan. Leucosticte brandti Brandt's mountain finch Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan Leucosticte arctoa Asian rosy finch Mongolia and North Asia; it winters in Manchuria, Korea, Sakhalin and Japan Leucosticte tephrocotis Gray-crowned rosy finch Alaska, western Canada, and the north-western United States.Leucosticte atrata Black rosy finch Interior west Leucosticte australis Brown-capped rosy finch central Rocky Mountains of the United States
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