Finches (Fringillidae)

Grey-crowned Rosy-finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis) - HBW 15, p. 573

French: Roselin à tête grise German: Schwarzstirn-Schneegimpel Spanish: Pinzón Montano Nuquigrís

Taxonomy: Linaria (Leucosticte) tephrocotis Swainson, 1832, near Carlton House, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Has been thought possibly to form a superspecies with L. arctoa, L. atrata and L. australis, and all are often treated as conspecific; recent analysis of mitochondrial DNA indicates close genetic similarity among all four. Has hybridized with L. atrata. Nominate race and griseonucha intergrade in Alaska. Proposed race irvingi (described from Anaktuvuk Pass, in N Alaska) considered synonymous with nominate, and maxima (from Commander Is, off NE Russia) synonymized with griseonucha. Six subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

griseonucha ( J. F. Brandt, 1842) - Commander Is, and Aleutian Is (including Shumagin Is and Semidi Is) E to Alaskan Peninsula; non-breeding S to Kodiak I.
umbrina Murie, 1944 - Hall I, St Matthew I and Pribilof Is, in Bering Sea.
littoralis S. F. Baird, 1869 - breeds SC Alaska E to W Canada (SW Yukon, NW British Columbia) and S in W USA from Washington and Oregon (along Cascade Mts) to N California (Mt Shasta); winters in S of breeding range E to C Montana, W Nevada, N Utah and C New Mexico.

See all 6 subspecies

griseonucha ( J. F. Brandt, 1842) - Commander Is, and Aleutian Is (including Shumagin Is and Semidi Is) E to Alaskan Peninsula; non-breeding S to Kodiak I.
umbrina Murie, 1944 - Hall I, St Matthew I and Pribilof Is, in Bering Sea.
littoralis S. F. Baird, 1869 - breeds SC Alaska E to W Canada (SW Yukon, NW British Columbia) and S in W USA from Washington and Oregon (along Cascade Mts) to N California (Mt Shasta); winters in S of breeding range E to C Montana, W Nevada, N Utah and C New Mexico.
tephrocotis ( Swainson, 1832) - breeds N & C Alaska E to NW Canada (C Yukon, British Columbia, W Alberta) and NW USA (NW Montana); winters from S British Columbia E to SW Saskatchewan and South Dakota, S to NE California, Nevada, Utah, W Colorado and N New Mexico.
wallowa A. H. Miller, 1939 - breeds NE Oregon (Wallowa Mts); winters S to WC Nevada and CE California.
dawsoni Grinnell, 1913 - E California (Sierra Nevada and White Mts).