Leucosticte atrata

Prior to 1983, North American rosy-finches were regarded as three species (L. atrata, L. australis, and L. tephrocotis). AOU (1983) lumped these together with Asian species as L. arctoa. Subsequently, Sibley and Monroe (1990, who cited unpublished genetic, biochemical, and morphological data by French and Loskot) and AOU (1993, who stated that the 1983 merger was based on insufficient new information) again recognized three species of rosy-finches in North America, distinct from Old World L. arctoa.

The three North American species sometimes have been merged as L. tephrocotis (American Rosy-Finch). Unpublished work by Johnson (1972) recognized a fourth North American species (L. griseonucha, comprising nominal subspecies griseonucha and umbrina of the Pribilof and Aleutian islands), but this taxon has not been accepted as a full species in subsequent checklists.

This species has moderate numbers of occurrences, limited range, and is somewhat numerous. However, approximately 30% of the population is concentrated in a single occurrence, the Beartooth Mountains. Most occurrences are on public lands, and development in alpine areas (e.g., mining) has apparently not caused population declines. Overall, it apparently secure.

BREEDS: mountains from central Idaho, southwestern and south-central Montana, and northwestern and north-central Wyoming south to southeastern Oregon, northeastern and east-central Nevada (south to the Snake Mountains), and central Utah (to the Tushar and La Sal mountains). Beartooth Mounatins have more than 30% of the global population. WINTERS: central Idaho and western and southeastern Wyoming south to eastern California (at least casually), southern Nevada, northern Arizona, and northern New Mexico (AOU 1983).

Only known threat is new massive mining which could level many square miles of breeding habitat.