South-eastern Ladakh and southern and eastern Tibetan Plateau east to north-eastern Qinghai (Qilian Mts and area around Qinghai Hu), south-western Gansu and north-western Sichuan, in central China, and south to northern Nepal and Sikkim.
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
White-rumped Snowfinch (Onychostruthus taczanowskii) [XC491344]
by Peter Boesman from Er La pass, Qinghai, China (song)
White-rumped Snowfinch (Onychostruthus taczanowskii) [XC323801]
by Peter Boesman from Hainan Zangzuzizhizhou, Qinghai Sheng, China (call)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
On basis of recent studies, some authorities consider this species sufficiently differentiated in behaviour and molecular genetics from the other ground-sparrows to warrant placement in a separate genus, Onychostruthus. However, differences are marginal, and it is retained in present genus pending further study.