OSME - Mongolian Finch in Armenia

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The first Mongolian Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes mongolicus in Armenia

ROY BEDDARD, VASIL ANANIAN AND MARK FINN

ON 30 MAY 2001, together with a group of birdwatchers, we visited a gorge 3 km north-west of the town of Vedi (at 39°94'N 44°75'E), which is c. 25 km south-east of Yerevan (the capital of Armenia) and close to a range of low hills. We discovered a party of 3-5 Mongolian Trumpeter Finches Bucanetes mongolicus shortly after arriving at the site and periodically watched them over the next two hours. Observations were made near a tiny pool adjacent to some mineral deposits, the birds visiting the pool area several times and feeding on nearby slopes. The gorge is arid and stony with loose rocky soil, and is 960 metres above sea level. Vegetation is sparse with several Artemisia and Euphorbia species, and occasional bushes of Rhamnus pallasi. Viewing conditions were excellent, with bright, strongly contrasting light, and observations were made through binoculars and telescopes at distances as close as less than ten metres.

Description

Three different plumages were noted, an adult male, another adult (presumably female) and juvenile. Appearance was of a typical medium-sized finch (approximately Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus size) with well-camouflaged plumage that blended well with the colour of the local soil and rocks. Pale sandy-brown or pale buff, with contrasting long black and white wings, the tail was also black and white. At least two had varying degrees of pink in some areas (see below). The following description refers to the adult male (see also Plate 1).

Plumage

Head plain sandy-brown with pink on fore supercilium, lower cheeks, chin and throat. Nape, mantle, scapulars and uppertail-coverts also plain sandy-brown, notably uniform with head. Rump bright pink (brighter than on head) and a well-defined square shape, contrasting with mantle and uppertail-coverts. Breast and flanks pale sandy-brown or sandy-buff, paler than crown or mantle, with obvious pink on flanks and breast-sides, meeting that on lower cheeks and throat. Belly, vent and undertail-coverts buffish off-white. Wings: brownish lesser coverts, darker than mantle/scapulars, and median coverts similar but with broad pinkish fringes, while greater coverts had dark brown centres and broad white fringes, which gradually became pinker at tips; tertials had diffuse dark brown centres and broad buffish-white fringes, while the secondaries were much as the greater coverts, but with narrower tips and less pink (on folded wing, greater coverts and secondaries formed two pinkish-white wing panels), and primary-coverts and primaries dark brown, almost blackish, with narrow pinkish-white fringes. One individual had broader tips to primaries. Long primary projection. Tail notched and of mid-length with dark brown/black feather centres and white fringes broad at the base (except central pair) and gradually narrowing at tips. When ruffling the crown and throat feathers, a habit typical of the species (Panov 1989), it had something of the appearance of a diminutive Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus. (Indeed, genetic studies by Panov & Bulatova (1972) revealed that Mongolian Trumpeter Finch is genetically closer to Common Rosefinch than to Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus.).

Bare Parts

Narrow whitish eye-ring and dark brown or black irides. Blunt, conical bill, comparatively smaller and less deep-based than Trumpeter Finch, and yellowish-horn or yellowish-brown. Upper and lower edges slightly convex (in profile). Dull yellowish-flesh or yellowish-orange legs, which appeared much brighter and translucent when viewed against light.

Other plumages

The presumed adult female was similar to the male but pink was only visible on the leading edge of the greater coverts (on the closed wing). The juvenile was slightly darker and much duller than both adults. On several occasions they were observed in moderately undulating flight, when they appeared pale below, lacking any contrast with the almost translucent remiges. Detailed descriptions are available of both other plumages on request from the first author.

Behaviour

When feeding the birds very actively foraged through the low vegetation, sometimes clambering through the centre of small plants. They fed on or close to the ground, on vegetative parts of Hymenocrater bituminosus and seeds of Allisum sp., as well as other unidentified species. Stems of grasses were gripped in the bill and stripped until the seeds were reached. Occasionally, individuals would jump up and pull the stem downward before stripping the seeds.

The male was observed briefly displaying and singing from a small rock, and aggressive behaviour was also noted (Panov & Bulatova 1972), the male ruffling the head and body feathers, bowing the body (described as 'displaced pecking' in Panov 1989) and flicking the closed wings while approaching its 'competitor' with short hops.

Several vocalisations were noted, the birds not being 'usually silent' as reported by Clement et al. (1993). The song consisted of a series of variably high-pitched whistles with a slightly nasal quality, but lacking the buzzing trumpet-like notes of Trumpeter Finch, while calls comprised a soft but clear 'pick', 'chik' or 'chip', with a quality similar to Linnet Carduelis cannabina, and a two-note flight call, which when uttered just prior to flying consisted of a short first note followed by a longer upward-inflected second note, 'tu.. .tweet'.

Description

This is the first documented record of Mongolian Trumpeter Finch in Armenia, although Clement et al. (1993) describe the species' range as including Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Previous records from Armenia reported in earlier publications all refer either to eastern Turkey or to an isolated part of Azerbaijan-Nakhichevan (Clement et al. 1993, Cramp & Perrins 1994, Kirwan & Konrad 1995). We are unaware of any records from the main part of Azerbaijan. The species' distribution in modern Turkey is now comparatively well known and it appears reasonably common within certain parts of the east of the country (Kirwan & Martins 2000). Vedi, at c. 960 metres, is at the lower end of the altitude range for breeding Mongolian Finch reported in Snow & Perrins (1998), and the presence of at least one juvenile is not confirmation that the species breeds in Armenia, although this appears likely.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Tigran Tadevosian identified the plant species present in the gorge.

REFERENCES

CLEMENT, P., HARRIS, A. AND DAY, J. (1993) Finches and sparrows: an identification guide. A. & C. Black, London.
CRAMP, S. (ED.) (1992) The birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. 8. Oxford University Press.
KIRWAN, G. AND KONRAD, V. (1995) Little known Western Palearctic birds: Mongolian Trumpeter Finch. Birding World 8:139-144.
KIRWAN, G. M. AND MARTINS, R. P. (2000) Turkey Bird Report 1992-1996. Sandgrouse 22:13-35.
PANOV, E. N. (1989) Natural hybridisation and ethological isolation in birds. Nauka, Moscow. [In Russian.]
PANOV, E. N. AND BULATOVA, N. S. (1972) On the common habitats and interrelations of Trumpeter Finches (Bucanetes githagineus Licht. and B. mongolicus Swinh.) in Transcaucasia. Bull. Moscowskogo Obschestva Ispytatelei Prirody, Otdel biologii 77 (4): 86-93. [In Russian.]
SNOW, D. W. AND PERRINS, C. M. (EDS.) (1998) The birds of the Western Palearctic. Concise edition. Oxford University Press.

Roy Beddard, 43 Kenerne Drive, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 2NW, U. K
Vasil Ananian, 179 Bashinjaghian Street, Apt. 23, 375078, Yerevan, Armenia
Mark Finn, 26 School Lane, Herne, Kent CT6 7AL, U. K.

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	ON 30 MAY 2001, together with a group of birdwatchers, we visited a gorge 3 km north-west of the town of Vedi (at 39°94'N 44°75'E), which is c. 25 km south-east of Yerevan (the capital of Armenia) and close to a range of low hills. We discovered a party of 3-5 Mongolian Trumpeter Finches Bucanetes mongolicus shortly after arriving at the site and periodically watched them over the next two hours. Observations were made near a tiny pool adjacent to some mineral deposits, the birds visiting the pool area several times and feeding on nearby slopes. The gorge is arid and stony with loose rocky soil, and is 960 metres above sea level. Vegetation is sparse with several Artemisia and Euphorbia species, and occasional bushes of Rhamnus pallasi. Viewing conditions were excellent, with bright, strongly contrasting light, and observations were made through binoculars and telescopes at distances as close as less than ten metres.
Description
	Three different plumages were noted, an adult male, another adult (presumably female) and juvenile. Appearance was of a typical medium-sized finch (approximately Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus size) with well-camouflaged plumage that blended well with the colour of the local soil and rocks. Pale sandy-brown or pale buff, with contrasting long black and white wings, the tail was also black and white. At least two had varying degrees of pink in some areas (see below). The following description refers to the adult male (see also Plate 1).
Plumage
	Head plain sandy-brown with pink on fore supercilium, lower cheeks, chin and throat. Nape, mantle, scapulars and uppertail-coverts also plain sandy-brown, notably uniform with head. Rump bright pink (brighter than on head) and a well-defined square shape, contrasting with mantle and uppertail-coverts. Breast and flanks pale sandy-brown or sandy-buff, paler than crown or mantle, with obvious pink on flanks and breast-sides, meeting that on lower cheeks and throat. Belly, vent and undertail-coverts buffish off-white. Wings: brownish lesser coverts, darker than mantle/scapulars, and median coverts similar but with broad pinkish fringes, while greater coverts had dark brown centres and broad white fringes, which gradually became pinker at tips; tertials had diffuse dark brown centres and broad buffish-white fringes, while the secondaries were much as the greater coverts, but with narrower tips and less pink (on folded wing, greater coverts and secondaries formed two pinkish-white wing panels), and primary-coverts and primaries dark brown, almost blackish, with narrow pinkish-white fringes. One individual had broader tips to primaries. Long primary projection. Tail notched and of mid-length with dark brown/black feather centres and white fringes broad at the base (except central pair) and gradually narrowing at tips. When ruffling the crown and throat feathers, a habit typical of the species (Panov 1989), it had something of the appearance of a diminutive Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus. (Indeed, genetic studies by Panov & Bulatova (1972) revealed that Mongolian Trumpeter Finch is genetically closer to Common Rosefinch than to Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus.).
Bare Parts
	Narrow whitish eye-ring and dark brown or black irides. Blunt, conical bill, comparatively smaller and less deep-based than Trumpeter Finch, and yellowish-horn or yellowish-brown. Upper and lower edges slightly convex (in profile). Dull yellowish-flesh or yellowish-orange legs, which appeared much brighter and translucent when viewed against light.
Other plumages
	The presumed adult female was similar to the male but pink was only visible on the leading edge of the greater coverts (on the closed wing). The juvenile was slightly darker and much duller than both adults. On several occasions they were observed in moderately undulating flight, when they appeared pale below, lacking any contrast with the almost translucent remiges. Detailed descriptions are available of both other plumages on request from the first author.
Behaviour
	When feeding the birds very actively foraged through the low vegetation, sometimes clambering through the centre of small plants. They fed on or close to the ground, on vegetative parts of Hymenocrater bituminosus and seeds of Allisum sp., as well as other unidentified species. Stems of grasses were gripped in the bill and stripped until the seeds were reached. Occasionally, individuals would jump up and pull the stem downward before stripping the seeds. The male was observed briefly displaying and singing from a small rock, and aggressive behaviour was also noted (Panov & Bulatova 1972), the male ruffling the head and body feathers, bowing the body (described as 'displaced pecking' in Panov 1989) and flicking the closed wings while approaching its 'competitor' with short hops. Several vocalisations were noted, the birds not being 'usually silent' as reported by Clement et al. (1993). The song consisted of a series of variably high-pitched whistles with a slightly nasal quality, but lacking the buzzing trumpet-like notes of Trumpeter Finch, while calls comprised a soft but clear 'pick', 'chik' or 'chip', with a quality similar to Linnet Carduelis cannabina, and a two-note flight call, which when uttered just prior to flying consisted of a short first note followed by a longer upward-inflected second note, 'tu.. .tweet'.
Description
	This is the first documented record of Mongolian Trumpeter Finch in Armenia, although Clement et al. (1993) describe the species' range as including Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Previous records from Armenia reported in earlier publications all refer either to eastern Turkey or to an isolated part of Azerbaijan-Nakhichevan (Clement et al. 1993, Cramp & Perrins 1994, Kirwan & Konrad 1995). We are unaware of any records from the main part of Azerbaijan. The species' distribution in modern Turkey is now comparatively well known and it appears reasonably common within certain parts of the east of the country (Kirwan & Martins 2000). Vedi, at c. 960 metres, is at the lower end of the altitude range for breeding Mongolian Finch reported in Snow & Perrins (1998), and the presence of at least one juvenile is not confirmation that the species breeds in Armenia, although this appears likely.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
	Tigran Tadevosian identified the plant species present in the gorge.
REFERENCES
	CLEMENT, P., HARRIS, A. AND DAY, J. (1993) Finches and sparrows: an identification guide. A. & C. Black, London. CRAMP, S. (ED.) (1992) The birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. 8. Oxford University Press. KIRWAN, G. AND KONRAD, V. (1995) Little known Western Palearctic birds: Mongolian Trumpeter Finch. Birding World 8:139-144. KIRWAN, G. M. AND MARTINS, R. P. (2000) Turkey Bird Report 1992-1996. Sandgrouse 22:13-35. PANOV, E. N. (1989) Natural hybridisation and ethological isolation in birds. Nauka, Moscow. [In Russian.] PANOV, E. N. AND BULATOVA, N. S. (1972) On the common habitats and interrelations of Trumpeter Finches (Bucanetes githagineus Licht. and B. mongolicus Swinh.) in Transcaucasia. Bull. Moscowskogo Obschestva Ispytatelei Prirody, Otdel biologii 77 (4): 86-93. [In Russian.] SNOW, D. W. AND PERRINS, C. M. (EDS.) (1998) The birds of the Western Palearctic. Concise edition. Oxford University Press. Roy Beddard, 43 Kenerne Drive, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 2NW, U. K Vasil Ananian, 179 Bashinjaghian Street, Apt. 23, 375078, Yerevan, Armenia Mark Finn, 26 School Lane, Herne, Kent CT6 7AL, U. K.