Rosy Outlook?
Rosy-finches are one of the few vertebrates that thrive in America’s alpine regions, living as hardy alpine specialists. Their habitat is disproportionately impacted by climate change. Rising temperatures and dwindling snowpacks threaten to radically alter enviros above treeline. Black rosy-finches breed in crevices of cliffs in the highest peaks of western North America. In summer, rosy-finches rely on snowpack to feed on seeds and insects on the edges of melting snowfields. In winter, they move down into high deserts and lower elevation mountains. Their ways are mysterious and our knowledge of how they live and survive is full of gaps. The Sandia Crest is one of the few places in winter where all three rarely seen American rosy-finch species can be observed. Black, grey-crowned, and brown capped have all been spotted here.
For Sierra Magazine, I photographed the story of the volunteers that observe, capture, tag and release rosy-finches on Sierra Crest every weekend throughout the finches winter stay in New Mexico. The volunteers efforts are helping to build understanding of these elusive winged beauties and supports the birds’ conservation throughout their migratory range.
Also, they are mottled in pink. What’s not to like about a pink bird?
