Rosy-Finch Winter Project

One of Colorado’s only endemic breeding birds, the Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, is under increasing stress due to a number of factors that we still don’t fully understand, including habitat loss, climate change, and the decline of alpine habitats. Very little is known about the locations and survival strategies of these birds, which migrate down from high elevations to feed on sparse food sources throughout the state during the winter.

The Rosy-Finch Winter Project is a new citizen science initiative asking community members, feeders, birders, researchers, and others to help close these gaps. Researchers and conservationists can better understand the species’ winter ecology, identify threats to important feeding areas, and guarantee that these habitats are preserved by using a quick-and-easy online survey to report winter feeding locations and rosy-finch sightings.

Every report, from a mountain town feeder or a quick backyard sighting, adds an important piece to the puzzle. The project accepts any and all rosy-finch sightings, regardless of time, date, location, season, or any other factors. Together, we can help fill in this data gap and protect the Brown-capped Rosy-Finch.

Submit your sightings: https://forms.gle/ctYTUjmmTcJ1kXg68

Learn more through their website: https://coloradobirdresear.wixsite.com/the-rosy-finch-winte

Want to share the project with others? Use their simple copy-and-paste outreach template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/153bZZGjZ2inavnglaaVnJc3sY8URM8Fc9CDcj3bHJis/edit?usp=sharing 

Have questions? Reach out to colorado.birdresearch@gmail.com or fill out their question-submission form: https://forms.gle/JS7P8Jsf6yNz3RuW6