About Bucanetes mongolicus (Swinhoe, 1870)
The Mongolian finch (scientific name Bucanetes mongolicus (Swinhoe, 1870)) is a small, long-winged bird. It has a large head and a short, thick greyish-yellow bill. In breeding plumage, males have a pink flush on their face and underparts, with extensive white and pink areas on the wings. This wing pattern is also present in non-breeding plumage, but it is less prominent. Females have much fainter pink that is almost unnoticeable. Outside of the breeding season, the Mongolian finch is fairly quiet. Its calls are made up of various rising nasal notes and chirrups, while its song is a jumbled sequence of these same notes. This species is a resident bird ranging from eastern Turkey, across the Caucasus, east through Central Asia, to western China and Mongolia, and south into Kashmir. It favors breeding habitats in mountainous areas of stony desert, semi-arid scrub, and rocky slopes. It is native to Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, India, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan, and occurs as a vagrant in Bahrain.
