Vinaceous rosefinch, Carpodacus vinaceus, photographed at Taichung, Taiwan.
Image: Marie Louise Ng, 4 May 2011 [velociraptorize].
Nikon D7000
Question: This common Taiwanese mystery bird is so colourful and so distinctive that if you've ever seen the species, you would never forget it. Can you identify the family that this species is placed into and, if you have seen it, can you tell me which species this is?
Response: This is an adult male vinaceous rosefinch, Carpodacus vinaceus, a common seed-eating bird of dry lowland forests throughout southeast Asia. This species' common name -- vinaceous -- refers to red wine, which the male's plumage colour resembles.
These birds are placed into the family fringillidae, the true finches, and the genus, Carpodacus, the true rosefinches. But cytochrome b/mitochondrial DNA data indicate this large genus is in need of a thorough revision. At this time, the presumed future classification of many of the Asian rosefinches, including the vinaceous rosefinch, remains uncertain. However, when this taxonomic revision occurs, the American rosefinches -- house finch, Cassin's finch, and purple finch -- which are tentatively included in Carpodacus, will probably be removed into their own genus, Burrica.
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