Crimson Winged Finch - Rhodopechys sanguinea

Identification: 15-18cm (6-7 in)

Adult male: blackish cap, extensive pink in wings, rump and face, black centers to breast feathers. Large pale yellow bill.

Adult female breeding: suller than male; lacks pink (or pink obscured) on face and rump, less pink in wing.

Call: the contact note is a fairly soft but musical, almost chat-like "wee-tll-ee" or "wee-tell-er" and the flight call a soft "chee-rup", "chilip", "tlweep" or "toik" and a Woodlark-like "dy-lit-dy-lit".

Song: is a repeated, clear and melodious, quiet, grating and sparrow-like "tchili-tchwilichip" delivered from tops of bushes or grass tussocks and a rippling "turdel-edel-weep-ou" in circling and undulating songflight, often high in the sky.

Distribution: discontinuously from central, southern and eastern Turkey through the southern Caucasus to Irang and Afghanistan and Central Asia to Tadzhikstan, the Russian parts of the Tien Shan range and the Tarbagatai range in northwest Sinkiang, Chine, also southern Lebanon to mount Hermon, Israel