Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch (Carpodacus thura) [XC810132]
by id from near Mangengoth, Helambu region, Nepal (call)
Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch (Carpodacus thura) [XC426437]
by Ramit Singal from Sela pass area, Arrunachal Pradesh, India (song)
Subspecies
Has been suggested that dubius represents a separate species, differing from other subspecies in biometrics (bill, wing and tail), plumage and vocalizations, and with apparent lack of intergrades with others. Although elevation to species rank possibly justified, further research, including analysis of mitochondrial DNA, required before such treatment considered warranted. Subspecies blythi apparently intergrades with nominate to unknown extent in northern India-western Nepal.
Proposed subspecies charmensis (described from Kyimpu Le La, between Chayul and Charme, on south-eastern Tibetan Plateau) synonymized with femininus.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
blythi (Biddulph, 1882) - North-eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan eastern in Himalayas to western Nepal.
thura Bonaparte & Schlegel, 1850 - Eastern Himalayas from Nepal east to north-eastern India (Arunachal Pradesh) and south-western China (extreme south-eastern Xizang).
dubius Przevalski, 1876 - West-central China (north-eastern and eastern Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia south to eastern Xizang). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Chinese White-browed Rosefinch (Carpodacus dubius).
deserticolor (Stegmann, 1931) - Central China (north-central and north-eastern Qinghai). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Chinese White-browed Rosefinch (Carpodacus dubius).
femininus Rippon, 1906 - Southern China (extreme south-eastern Qinghai south to southern and south-eastern Xizang, north-western Yunnan and western Sichuan). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Chinese White-browed Rosefinch (Carpodacus dubius).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet