Finches · Perching birds
Eurasian Siskin
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Spinus spinus
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Voice
Call
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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About 12 cm long
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Black wings with a yellow bar; yellow sides on the black tail
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Adult male: black cap, yellow face and breast; females and young: no cap, greyish-green head
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Rapid twittering song with trills
About the species
Green-yellow upperparts sit above pale, streaked underparts, while yellow bars brighten the dark wings and yellow edges the black tail. On a male, the face and breast are bright yellow beneath a black cap. Females and juveniles are more olive-green and lack the cap.
It feeds high in trees, sometimes hanging upside down to reach seeds. In autumn and winter, it gathers in flocks and keeps up a quick twitter and trill, with sharp "tilu" and "tluih" calls and an occasional rough rattle. Its song can also include calls borrowed from other species.
It lives in coniferous and mixed woods, feeding mainly on seeds from alder and conifers, especially spruce. It also visits garden feeding stations. Its movements vary from year to year: every few years, large numbers head south for winter, while it stays year-round in parts of Central Europe.
Did you know?
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Petersburg statue stolen several times
On the embankment by the First Engineer Bridge in Saint Petersburg stands a statue of a siskin: the bird's colours match the uniform once worn by students of an elite city school, who came to be nicknamed 'Chizh' — a name popularised by the song 'Chizhik-Pyzhik'. The statue has been there since 1994, though it has been stolen and replaced several times.
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A nest found only by chance
It usually nests in spruces or pines. The nest, woven from thin twigs, grass stems, lichens and moss, sits so high (no lower than 10 m) and is hidden so skilfully that, as a rule, it is found only by chance.
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One flock held together three years
In one European ringing study, many siskins ringed together were caught together again a month later. The record for a flock keeping the same members topped three years, and their movements exceeded 1,000 km.
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Where to find
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At a garden feeder, Eurasian Siskins may feed upside down, like tits.
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In spring spruce woodland, watch for agile movements along branches near cones as they feed on conifer seeds.
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In winter, along river valleys with deciduous thickets, listen for flocks calling among the treetops.
