<p>The gray-crowned rosy finch spends most of its time at elevations higher than most bird-watchers would normally tread.</p>

Of all the birds pictures I have collected, the species that most people have never even seen is the gray-crowned rosy finch. One could live a lifetime in Wallowa County and never get to see a single one of these rare finches unless you hike above the timberline at about 8,000 feet. Once you get there, these birds blend into the scenery so well that they dont stand out. But when you do spot them, they are easy to get close to as like several other wilderness birds, they dont seem to fear humans.

Quite often they gather in flocks, but they always stay close to the ground where they find things to feed on amongst the lichens on the rocks. Like most other finches, they feed their nestlings insects until they are almost grown before they give them seeds. I have never seen a rosy finch anywhere except above the tree-line. Perhaps at these high altitudes there are almost no bird-hawks such as sharp shinned or Coopers hawks.

I have been unable to find out where these finches spend the winter, but they would have to find someplace where there are open ridge tops in order to find food. It is difficult to get information on these rosy finches as they live at altitudes where most birdwatchers dont get to see them.