Great Rosefinch (Carpodacus rubicilla)
Clicked by Dr Salil Choksi at Everest Base Camp (17598 feet), Nepal Oct ‘18

A Spotted Rose!

One of the joys of high altitude trekking is to encounter specialised birds residing at those rarefied heights. So in Oct 2018, when we did the challenging, high altitude, 16 day Everest Base Camp circuit trek; I was surprised to find this bird; foraging around the prayer flags and the marker of the famous Everest Base Camp at 17598 feet (5380 mtrs).

The large, high altitude Great Rosefinch is an alpine species. Resident on high, bare mountains 10,000 to 16,000 feet, in N Himalayas- Tibet, Nepal, Kashmir; often at or just below the snowline, this sedentary bird breeds above treeline in barren, rocky areas; & can survive on snow free open ground even above 4000m! But 5380 metres was much above it’s known upper range !

Its large & stocky with heavy, pale bill & a long tail. Adult male is dark raspberry-red sprinkled with fine white spots on crown & underparts. Female is streaky brown all over. It has sweet, loud musical calls & songs.

The fluffy down in the lower part of each feather protects it from the intense cold; the oxygen transport cascade from the lungs to the mitochondria is highly efficient, with enhancements at every level. It is adapted to survive in the cold, rarefied habitat.

It forages on the ground between rocks, often at edges of snow patches, feeding on seeds, buds, berries, sometimes insects.

‘The Art of Life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings’ – Kakuzo Okakaura