Leucosticte atrata
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The black rosy finch or black rosy-finch (Leucosticte atrata) is a species of passerine bird in the family Fringillidae native to alpine areas above treeline, of the western United States. It is the most range-restricted member of its genus, and a popular photography subject for birdwatchers.
The black rosy finch was first classified by American ornithologist Robert Ridgway in 1874. This bird has been thought to form a superspecies with the three other rosy finches: grey-crowned rosy finch (L. tephrocotis) and the brown-capped rosy finch (L. australis), all of which were classified as the same species as the Asian rosy finch (L. arctoa) from 1983–1993. Recent mitochondrial DNA evidence shows the rosy finches are all indeed very closely related and can be easily confused with one another. Along with four Asian rosy finches, the three North American rosy finches form the mountain finch genus Leucosticte. There are no recognized subspecies of the black rosy finch. Alternative common names include: roselin (in French), Rußschneegimpel (in German), and pinzón montano negro (in Spanish).
Adults are black on the head, back and breast with pink on the belly... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Rosy-Finch sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 62 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 141st most-seen of the 223 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December and January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Rosy-Finch in Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February to November, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Rosy-Finch sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black Rosy-Finch sightings, Rocky Mountain National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Grand Teton National Park (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Rosy-Finch is recorded against all the birds logged in Rocky Mountain National Park (62 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
