Down here in the "lowlands" (Golden) Black Rosy-Finches seem to be numerous this year and Brown-capped Rosy-Finches scarce. On the other hand Park County has plenty of Brown-caps and few Blacks. A quick rough check of eBird Rosy-Finch records for 2021 shows the following:
55th Place in Golden (also labeled El Diente) 1/27 Gray-crowned 290,
Black 15, BCRF 1
Mesa Meadows Golden 1/26 GCRF 61, Black 70, BCRF 3
But in Park County (Middle Park) Brown Caps are predominant.
Como 1/24 GCRF 8, Black 2, BCRF 32
Al Gulch Road (Jefferson) 1/9 GCRF 18, Black 5, BCRF 400!
The Lambs (Fairplay) 1/8 GCRF 1, Black 1, BCRF 75
I love these birds and am intrigued by the fact that at least this winter, the Brown Caps, almost Colorado endemics, are staying closer to their summer homes above timberline in the Colorado Rockies, whereas those that have come from Idaho and Montana (Blacks) and the Gray Crowns from British Colombia as far as Alaska seem to prefer lower altitudes in the Front Range. Blacks seem to be unusually numerous this year.
Is (has) anyone studied the distribution of these scarce birds? How about a citizen science project to survey their numbers at certain feeder locations once a week during the winter. (CFO?) Isn't Scott Rashid banding them in Estes Park? Why do they come some years (like to Red Rocks and Ira Sanders' place in Golden) and then show up at a different location the next year? Where do they roost at night in the winter? Ira suggested that they need rocky cliffs like North Table Mountain for night roosts.
Bob Shade
Lakewood
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