Finches (Fringillidae)

Pale Rosefinch (Carpodacus synoicus) - HBW 15, p. 591

French: Roselin du Sinaï German: Einödgimpel Spanish: Camachuelo del Sinaí
Other common names: Sinai Rosefinch

Taxonomy: Pyrrhula synoica Temminck, 1825, Mount Sinai, north-east Egypt.
Races geographically remote from one another; possibility that they represent separate species may merit investigation. Proposed race petrae (described from Petra, in SW Jordan) slightly smaller than nominate, but differences minimal and some overlap in measurements; synonymized with latter. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

synoicus ( Temminck, 1825) - S Israel, NE Egypt (Sinai), SW Jordan and extreme NW Saudi Arabia.
salimalii ( R. Meinertzhagen, 1938) - NC & C Afghanistan (Hindu Kush).
stoliczkae ( Hume, 1874) - W China (SW Xinjiang E to NW Qinghai).
beicki ( Stresemann, 1930) - C China (E Qinghai and SW Gansu).