According to Gould these birds of the rocky mountains 'are said to be even more tame than our well-known Hedgesparrow'. He added: 'They and the wild Rhododendrons live together', in Europe they were found among the Rhododendron ferrugineim on the Alps, while in the Himalayas others lived among the many varieties of rhododendron made famous by the discoveries of the botanist, Dr Joseph Hooker.

The male is depicted above, and the female below. The red flowering plant is the Rhododendron ferrugineum, and the blue plant Gentiana verna.
DISTRIBUTION: Breeds from Iberia and Northwest Africa eastwards to south Siberia, Japan, and south through Mongolia and China to Himalayas. Winters to lower elevations. Rare vagrant to Britain with only about 35 authenticated records