The red-fronted serin or fire-fronted serin (''Serinus pusillus'') is a small
passerine
A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
in the
finch
The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where they are usua ...
family Fringillidae. It prefers high mountain regions and is 11–12 cm long.
This bird breeds in the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...
and the higher
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
s of
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
and
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, with vagrants occasionally reaching the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
Eastern Aegean Islands in winter. This bird is also found in
Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...
and other parts of the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
. Outside the breeding season, it occurs in small flocks, typically seen searching through thistle patches. It is a popular cagebird, and escapees from captivity are occasionally found throughout Europe.
The bird is variable in plumage, with adults resembling very dark
redpoll
The redpolls (genus ''Acanthis'') (in Great Britain also historically known as redpoles) are a group of small passerine birds in the finch family Fringillidae, which have characteristic red markings on their heads. They are placed in the genus ' ...
s. The foreparts are sooty and the forehead is red; juveniles have buff-brown heads. The call is a rapid, shrill "titihihihihihi", resembling that of a
Linnet
The common linnet (''Linaria cannabina'') is a small passerine bird of the finch family, Fringillidae. It derives its common name and the scientific name, ''Linaria'', from its fondness for hemp seeds and flax seeds—flax being the English n ...
.
The bird will breed in captivity and thrives on a diet of canary grass seed, millet, and other small seeds. They bathe daily if water is accessible.
Phylogeny
This species is phylogeneticagy included within the group of ''
Serinus syriacus
The Syrian serin (''Serinus syriacus'') is a brightly coloured small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.
Description
The Syrian serin is prettily coloured with bright yellow and pale grey feathers. The eyes are large and are surro ...
'' now thriving around Mt. Lebanon and other Asian and African patches in winter, together with ''
Serinus canicollis
The Cape canary (''Serinus canicollis'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is a resident breeder in southern Africa and has been introduced to Mauritius and Réunion.
Its habitat is fynbos, grassland and gardens, preferably in ...
'' (African distribution) and ''
Serinus alario
The black-headed canary (''Serinus alario'') is a species of finch found in Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. It is sometimes placed in the genus ''Alario'' as ''Alario alario''
Its habitat is dry open scrub and grassland, the edges of cultiva ...
'' (southern tip of Africa distribution
Arnaiz-Villena et al., 1999
Gallery
File:Fire-frontedSerin_at_Deoria_Tal.jpg, left, Fire-fronted serin at Deoria Tal
Deoria Tal (also Devaria or Deoriya) is a lake about from the villages of Mastura and Sari on the Ukhimath- Chopta road in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Situated at an altitude of in the Garhwal Himalayas, it has heavily wooded, lush gre ...
, Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
File:Fire-fronted_serin_at_Deoria_Tal.jpg, Fire-fronted serin at Deoria Tal
Deoria Tal (also Devaria or Deoriya) is a lake about from the villages of Mastura and Sari on the Ukhimath- Chopta road in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Situated at an altitude of in the Garhwal Himalayas, it has heavily wooded, lush gre ...
, Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
File:Serinus pusillus MHNT 223 Caucase.jpg, Eggs of ''Serinus pusillus'' MHNT
File:Fire-fronted_Serin.jpg, Fire-fronted serin
References
External links
Red-fronted serin From Turkey
{{Taxonbar, from=Q621833
red-fronted serin
The red-fronted serin or fire-fronted serin (''Serinus pusillus'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It prefers high mountain regions and is 11–12 cm long.
This bird breeds in the Caucasus and the higher mountai ...
Birds of Azerbaijan
Birds of Western Asia
Birds of Central Asia
Birds of Afghanistan
Birds of North India
Birds of Western China
red-fronted serin
The red-fronted serin or fire-fronted serin (''Serinus pusillus'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It prefers high mountain regions and is 11–12 cm long.
This bird breeds in the Caucasus and the higher mountai ...