Common Rosefinch

The common rosefinch is the most widespread and common rosefinch of Asia and Europe, 13–15 centimetres long with a stout, conical bill. The mature male has a brilliant rosy-carmine head, breast and rump, dark brown wings with two indistinct bars, and a white belly. Females and young males are dull yellowish-brown above, brighter on the rump and greyer on the head, and buff below. Adults moult in winter quarters between September and November, after which the male's red is subdued and brightens with feather wear. A rare yellow form of the male exists. (Wikipedia, general species account)

Common rosefinches breed from the Danube valley, Sweden and Siberia to the Bering Sea, and south through the Caucasus, northern Iran, Afghanistan, the western Himalayas, Tibet and China to Japan. In winter they are found from southern Iran to southeast China, India, Burma and Indochina. The species has spread westward through Europe in recent decades. The nest is placed low in a bush, and a typical clutch is five dark blue eggs with coarse dark brown spots. (Wikipedia, general species account)