ML357767731

Age and sex

Adult Male - 1

Behaviors

Flying

Observation details

2 seen by friends at around 8:20 am at c.5100m asl. 4 other seen foraging after 9:50 am at lower elevation (maybe c.5000m asl). Males and females not necessarily associating very closely. Photographed and audio recorded. Possibly the second ever audio recording of this species. At least one female was seen collecting and carrying nesting material (mostly thin strands of dry grasses. Collected at c.5000m asl, then flew higher up into the barren mountains, probably to 5100+m asl. Between 10:53~10:58am). Although some were seen foraging in close proximity to Tibetan Rosefinches, the Sillem's seem to prefer higher altitudes than Tibetan Rosefinches and are far less vocal than Tibetan Rosefinches. I suspect they likely roost and nest in higher areas and only comes down to c.5000m asl or less (plants and other living organisms more abundant here than higher uphill) to forage and collect nesting material. Other times likely spent in higher grounds (barren rocky habitat with little plant life). Observed foods items mostly consist of leaves, shoots, stems and buds of plants (not certain about this but they seem to like to pick food from between small rocks and not directly from larger exposed plant parts???). 1 additional female seen by another friend who stayed near the parking spot, according to the friend, this female was also collecting nesting material and carrying them uphill.

Technical information

Model

NIKON D850

Lens

80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

ISO

640

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/8.0

Shutter speed

1/1250 sec

Dimensions

3099 pixels x 2065 pixels

Original file size

2.65 MB