rosefinch
Refers to any finch of the genus Carpodacus. In Japanese birding, often used in compound names like オオマシコ (Pallas's rosefinch) or ベニマシコ (long-tailed rosefinch).
The long-tailed rosefinch is a beautiful crimson bird.
Pallas's rosefinch can be seen in Hokkaido.
Rare, archaic, or dialectal term for monkey. The cross-reference to 猿 suggests this is an alternative reading or variant form. Not used in modern standard Japanese.
See also: 猿
In old documents, 猿子 is sometimes read as ましこ and refers to a monkey.
rosefinch
long-tailed rosefinch
purple finch
Asian rosy finch
Katakana spelling is standard for bird names; usually written in kana.
Kanji form is rare and may be confused with other readings; usually written in kana.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 猿子 literally means 'monkey child', but the connection to the bird name is unclear. The reading ましこ may be derived from the bird's call or an old Japanese word.