Eurasian siskin Carduelis spinus

Features

The Eurasian siskin is a small bird with feathers of green, yellow and black. It measures about 12 cm in length, and is, thus, smaller than the sparrow.

Species	Bird
Living space	Conifer forest, Deciduous forest
Size	12 cm
Weight	13 g

Description

The Eurasian siskin male's feathers are of more lively colours than those of females. Males have a black hat and a double chin. They have a contrastingly yellow and black pattern on their wings and tail, which is a total opposite to the olive-green back with a pattern of blurred black stripes. The male’s cheeks are also olive-green surrounded by a yellow stripe. This stripe comes together on the chest and proceeds towards the black-striped abdomen, where the yellow colour pours into dirty white. The Eurasian siskin females' feathers are more dull-coloured, but always of green and yellow shades, by which they distinguish from similarly striped finches that nest in Slovenia. The Eurasian siskin is a lively bird which, during the nesting period, mainly feeds on seeds of conifers, spruce and pine. Only every now and then, its diet is diversified with some insects. In Slovenia, the Eurasian siskin is a rare nesting bird and only nests here between April and June, mainly in conifer forests of the mountainous regions. Its nest is usually hidden high on spruce trees. The male repeats its lively song from the top of the spruce trees or during its flight above tree canopies.