Old World Sparrows (Passeridae)

White-rumped Ground-sparrow (Pyrgilauda taczanowskii) - HBW 14, p. 812

French: Niverolle de Taczanowski German: Weißbürzel-Erdsperling Spanish: Gorrión de Taczanowski
Other common names: White-rumped Snowfinch, Taczanowski's/Mandelli's Ground-sparrow/Snowfinch

Taxonomy: Montifringilla taczanowskii Przevalski, 1876, Tetunga and Koko Nor Steppe, west China.
Genus often subsumed into Montifringilla. 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; differences are, however, marginal, and it is retained in present genus pending further study. Monotypic.

Distribution: SE Ladakh and S & E Tibetan Plateau E to NE Qinghai (Qilian Mts and area around Qinghai Hu), SW Gansu and NW Sichuan, in C China, and S to N Nepal and Sikkim.