BLACK ROSY-FINCH Leucosticte atrata Ridgway, 1874

Accepted: 12 (92%)	Treated in Appendix H: yes
Not accepted: 1	CBRC review: all records
Not submitted/reviewed: 4	Color image: none

This rosy-finch breeds locally from south-central and southwestern Montana and southeastern Oregon south to east-central Nevada and southeastern Utah. During winter, birds wander regularly to central Nevada, southern Utah, central Colorado, and northern New Mexico. The species has been recorded three times in northern Arizona—including groups of about 80 during 1996/1997 (Rosenberg and Witzeman 1998) and 65 during 2000/2001 (NAB 55:208)—and twice in western Nebraska, both times in early 2001 (Sharpe et al. 2001).

California’s first Black Rosy-Finch, an adult male, was collected on 15 January 1904 at Bodie, Mono County (Swarth 1928, CAS 15167). California records involve birds found from late fall through early spring (11 November–5 April) in northern Inyo County and central Mono County; see also Appendix H. Most Black Rosy-Finches have been found associating with the masses of Gray-crowneds that lend winter color to this snowy region. Indeed, the Black Rosy-Finch may occur more frequently in east-central California than the few records suggest, and Johnson (2002) reported that the species may winter occasionally in the Marble Mts. of Siskiyou County. Specimens from near Chats in Lassen County (Miller and Twining 1943) are of Black Rosy-Finches, but the mine shaft at which they were collected lies in Nevada, not California (McCaskie et al. 1979 contra Small 1994).