Desert finch
Rhodospiza obsoleta (M. H. K. Lichtenstein, 1823)
The desert finch (Rhodospiza obsoleta) is a species in the family Fringillidae, order Passeriformes. Recorded adults weigh 23.9 g to 25.5 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.
Quick facts about the desert finch
- Weight
- 23.9 g – 25.5 gsrc for Weight
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Diet
- Granivoresrc for Diet
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- desertsrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- 5src for Young per litter or clutch
- Litters or clutches a year
- 2src for Litters or clutches a year
- Lifestyle
- Generalistsrc for Lifestyle
- Migration
- Partialsrc for Migration
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Where does the desert finch live?
Not recorded
What is the desert finch?
The desert finch (Rhodospiza obsoleta), sometimes called Lichtenstein's desert finch, is a large brown true finch found in southern Eurasia. Its taxonomy is confused, and it has formerly been placed in Fringilla, Bucanetes, Carduelis and Rhodopechys.
From the Wikipedia article “Desert finch” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Desert_finch&oldid=1347480315), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the desert finch endangered?
The desert finch is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the desert finch classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyFringillidae
- genusRhodospiza
- SpeciesRhodospiza obsoleta (M. H. K. Lichtenstein, 1823)
Synonyms Fringilla obsoleta, Fringilla obsoleta, Rhodopechys obsoleta, Rhodopechys obsoleta, Rhodopechys obsoleta, Rhodopechys obsoleta, Rhodospiza obsoleta, Rhodospiza obsoleta chuancheica, Rhodospiza obsoleta kaschgarica, Rhodospiza obsoleta obsoleta, Rhodospiza obsoletus
Other names and names in other languages (29)
- pinsà del desertCatalan
- hýl pustinnýCzech
- ØrkenfinkeDanish
- WeißflügelgimpelGerman
- Camachuelo DesertícolaSpanish
- oaasileevikeEstonian
- peltotulkkuFinnish
- Roselin de LichtensteinFrench
- Glasán fásaighIrish
- pustinjska zebaCroatian
- feketecsőrű sivatagipintyHungarian
- SandfinkaIcelandic
- Trombettiere di LichtensteinItalian
- ハシグロナキマシコJapanese
- palšasis svilikėlisLithuanian
- tuksneša žubīteLatvian
- svartnebbfinkNorwegian Bokmål
- Vale WoestijnvinkDutch
- czarnodziobekPolish
- asa-rosadaPortuguese
- asa-rosada-do-desertoPortuguese
- pintarroxo-do-desertoPortuguese
- Буланый вьюрокRussian
- ČáhppesnjunbeibbošNorthern Sami
- sivák pustatinnýSlovak
- beloperuti trobentarSlovenian
- ökenfinkSwedish
- снігар блідийUkrainian
- 巨嘴沙雀Chinese
Relatives of the desert finch
Other species in the same family Fringillidae.
European goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis
Eurasian bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Eurasian chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
Common linnet
Linaria cannabina
Eurasian siskin
Spinus spinus
European greenfinch
Chloris chloris
CompareDesert finch vs European goldfinchDesert finch vs Eurasian bullfinchDesert finch vs Eurasian chaffinchDesert finch vs Common linnet
Common questions
Answered only where our data holds the answer.
How big is the desert finch?
An adult desert finch weighs 23.9 g – 25.5 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.
Is the desert finch endangered?
The desert finch is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.
What kind of animal is the desert finch?
The desert finch (Rhodospiza obsoleta) belongs to the family Fringillidae in the order Passeriformes.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds · CC BY 4.0 · v7
Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Desert finch (Rhodospiza obsoleta). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/desert-finch
“Desert finch (Rhodospiza obsoleta).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/desert-finch.
@misc{desert_finch_2026,
title = {Desert finch (Rhodospiza obsoleta)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/desert-finch},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}