White-winged Grosbeak Mycerobas carnipes
Etymology:
- Mycerobas : Greek word moukerobas –nut-breaker
- Carnipes : Latin word carnis – flesh; pes –foot
Distribution in India: Resident of Himalayas from Himachal Pradesh to Arunachal Pradesh in India.
Description: Size of 22–24 cm; weight of 50–66 g. It is a large, heavy-bodied grosbeak with short wing and longish, relatively slender tail. The male of nominate race has head to upper back and to lower breast sooty black or blackish-grey, scapulars black with dull yellow tips on rearmost feathers in fresh plumage. The lower back and rump are dull yellow, uppertail-coverts are black or blackish with dull yellow tips; tail and wing are black, tips of inner greater coverts are deep yellow, bases of outer primaries is white forming small square patch on closed wing, short wingbar in flight, dull yellow on distal part of outer edges of tertials. The belly and flanks to undertail-coverts are dull yellow; iris is dark brown; bill is dark grey or blackish-horn, paler base of lower mandible; legs are pale brown to pinkish-brown.
The female has slate-grey head to lower back, rump is dull yellow or olive-yellow, uppertail-coverts are dark grey, fringed dull yellow; tail is black or blackish-grey; wing as on male, but blackish-grey, inner greater coverts are tipped pale olive-yellow, flight-feathers finely edged olive-yellow, white patch at base of outer primaries smaller, tertials edged pale yellow or yellowish-buff and tipped paler greyish-white. The face and underparts slightly paler grey, finely streaked whitish on cheek, ear-coverts and throat to centre of breast. The belly is greyish-yellow, becoming yellowish-olive on undertail-coverts, bare parts much as for male.
The juvenile is like female, but browner, with pale feather tips on head and upperparts, median and greater upperwing-coverts are brown, tipped olive-yellow; first-winter is more similar to adult female but without pale tips; first-summer male also like female, but with olive wash on mantle, upper back and wing-coverts, brighter yellow rump and uppertail-coverts, and patches of dark grey and dull whitish spots on throat and breast.
Habitat: It is found in submontane and montane juniper and spruce forest, mixed fir and deciduous forest with rhododendron, dwarf juniper and bamboo, also sparse bushes and scattered scrub on slopes at or above tree-line. It breeds at 1900 to 4260 m in Himalayas. In non-breeding season it is found in similar habitat at lower levels in foothills and adjacent plains; down to 1500 m in Himalayas.
Food habits: It eats juniper berries, berries of dogwood, seeds of spruce and mountain ash, rose hips , docks and strawberries.). It forages on the ground, often spending long periods in one area: also, in low bushes and in trees. When disturbed from ground, it flies to top of nearby tree before returning to feeding area; also spends long periods inactively perched on secluded or open branch. It is a noisy feeder; uses large bill to break open hard shells and drops shell and pulp to ground. It is usually found in pairs or in small to medium-sized flocks. In non-breeding season often in mixed foraging flocks with other finches.
Breeding habits: They breed in May–Sept. They are Monogamous & Solitary. The nest is built by female. The nest is a loose or bulky cup of fine twigs, plant stems and fibres, juniper bark strips and grass, on a platform of twigs, placed above ground and well concealed by surrounding foliage in spruce or juniper tree, sometimes other tree. They lay a clutch of 2–3 eggs. The eggs are dull white, marbled with violet and dark brown blotches, spots and lines. The incubation is done by both sexes, mainly by female for a period of 15–16 days. The nestling period is 17–18 days. Nestlings fed with juniper seeds and bark-dwelling weevils, Orthoptera larvae and leafhoppers. The young are fed by parents for at least one week and possibly for up to two months after leaving nest.