Golden-naped Finch     Pyrrhoplectes epaulette

Etymology: 

• Pyrrhoplectes : Pyrrhula  -bullfinch;  Euplectes – eu fine, good; plektos plaited
• Epaulette : epaulette – shoulder ornament 

Vernacular name:  Lepcha: Lho-sampreh-pho

Distribution in India: Resident of Eastern Himalayas .

Description: Size 13–15 cm; 19 g. It is a small, slender, short-winged finch with slightly notched tail. The male is almost entirely jet-black, except for bright orange hindcrown and nape; upperwing more glossy black, inner edges of tertials are white forming two short parallel lines; underparts are slightly duller or dark grey, feathers of lower flanks and side of lower belly are tipped orange to rufous-brown. The axillaries are rufous-orange, underwing-coverts is white; iris and bill are black; legs are dark grey or pinkish-grey.

The female has hindcrown and nape to ear-coverts olive-green, flecked darker or finely blackish, forecrown to cheek are grey, flecked darker, side of neck, mantle and upper scapulars are deep grey, lower scapulars and back to uppertail-coverts are warm brown or chestnut. The tail is dark brown; upperwing-coverts same colour as scapulars and with blackish bases and slightly paler or warmer brown tips, alula and primary coverts are blackish-brown, flight-feathers are black, outer web of tertials same as scapulars, shafts blackish and inner webs white. The throat and underparts are entirely chestnut or cinnamon-brown, underwing-coverts are white; bare parts much as for male.

The juvenile is similar to female, but duller, more dusky brown.The first-winter male also like adult female, but upperparts are darker chestnut, nape may be flecked with yellow-orange, underparts as on adult but flecked with blackish

Habitat: It is found in dense undergrowth and edges of submontane oak and rhododendron forest, also rhododendron thickets and scrub in mixed deciduous forest, bamboo and patches of scrub, and nettles. It is found at 2800–4000 m.

Food habits:  It eats seeds, those of nettles, also buds, berries; also, small insects. It forages unobtrusively on ground, in low vegetation and dense undergrowth, occasionally venturing into open at edges of forest or thicket. It often sits motionless in bushes.

Breeding habits: They breed in March