Sinai Rosefinch (Carpodacus synoicus) [XC640620]
by David Darrell-Lambert from AlMu'tadil, AlUla, Al Madinah Province, Saudi Arabia (call)
Sinai Rosefinch (Carpodacus synoicus) [XC442744]
by Maarten Sluijter from Wadi Salvadori, Israel (call)
Subspecies
Subspecies geographically remote from one another. The possibility that they represent separate species may merit investigation. Proposed subspecies petrae (described from Petra, in south-western Jordan) slightly smaller than nominate, but differences minimal and some overlap in measurements and is synonymized with latter.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
synoicus (Temminck, 1825) - Southern Israel, north-eastern Egypt (Sinai), south-western Jordan and extreme north-western Saudi Arabia.
salimalii (R. Meinertzhagen, 1938) - North-central and central Afghanistan (Hindu Kush). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pale Rosefinch (Carpodacus stoliczkae).
stoliczkae (Hume, 1874) - Western China (south-western Xinjiang east to north-western Qinghai). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Pale Rosefinch (Carpodacus stoliczkae).
beicki (Stresemann, 1930) - Central China (eastern Qinghai and south-western Gansu). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pale Rosefinch (Carpodacus stoliczkae).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet