Black-headed Siskin
Spinus notatus
The Black-headed Siskin (Spinus notatus) is a uncommon finches, euphonias, and alli found in 7 countries, weighing about 11 g. The black-headed siskin is a species of bird in the family Fringillidae, the finches and euphonias.
About the Black-headed Siskin
The black-headed siskin is a species of bird in the family Fringillidae, the finches and euphonias. It is found in Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The black-headed siskin is 10.2 to 11.5 cm (4.0 to 4.5 in) long and weighs about 10 to 14 g (0.35 to 0.49 oz). The species is sexually dimorphic. Adult males of the nominate subspecies S. n. notatus have a black head and upper breast. Their nape, back, and scapulars are yellowish olive-green with mostly hidden black spots in the middle of the feathers. Their rump and uppertail coverts are yellow. Their tail is mostly black with lemon yellow bases on the outermost pair of feathers. Voice: One description of the black-headed siskin's song is "a varied, rapid, jangling, twittering warble, often prolonged, with repetition of phrases and odd nasal and metallic notes thrown in". Another is a "rapid, liquid, tinkling, buzzy series of repeated elements lasting up to 15 sec.". Its calls include "a nasal teu...a drawn-out tseeeu, or djeein, a dry jeh-jeht, and a nasal ti-chie".
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States.
When to see it
The Black-headed Siskin can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Black-headed Siskin?
- The black-headed siskin is 10.2 to 11.5 cm (4.0 to 4.5 in) long and weighs about 10 to 14 g (0.35 to 0.49 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Black-headed Siskin?
- The Black-headed Siskin is a tiny sized bird weighing about 11 g.
- Where can you see a Black-headed Siskin?
- The Black-headed Siskin occurs in 7 countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and Nicaragua.
- What birds look similar to a Black-headed Siskin?
- The Black-headed Siskin is most easily confused with the Yellow-bellied Siskin, the Andean Siskin and the Black Siskin.
- Is the Black-headed Siskin endangered?
- The Black-headed Siskin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Black-headed Siskin for real
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