Black-headed Siskin vs Lawrence's Goldfinch

Black-headed Siskin

Spinus notatus

Tiny11 gForest

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".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Grete Pasch · CC BY 4.0

Lawrence's Goldfinch

Spinus lawrencei

Tiny11 gForest

At about 4.75 in (12.1 cm) long and weighing about 0.4 oz (11 g), it is slightly bigger than the lesser goldfinch and slightly smaller than the American goldfinch, with less yellow in the plumage than either. Adults of both sexes are gray with pink to grayish flesh-color bills, stubbier than other goldfinches'. They have yellow rumps and paired yellowish wing-bars, as well as yellow edges on the flight feathers and yellow on the breast. The tail is black, crossed by a white band. Plumage is duller in winter, brightening after a spring molt.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Dorothy Johnson · CC0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-headed Siskin and Lawrence's Goldfinch.