Yellow-bellied siskin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow-bellied siskin |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Spinus
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| Species: |
xanthogastrus
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| Synonyms | |
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Carduelis xanthogastra |
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The yellow-bellied siskin (Spinus xanthogastrus) is a small passerine bird. It belongs to the finch family, called Fringillidae. This bird lives and has its babies in areas from Costa Rica in the north, all the way south to southern Ecuador. You can also find it in central Bolivia and the high mountains of northwestern Venezuela.
Contents
About the Yellow-Bellied Siskin
The yellow-bellied siskin is a tiny bird. It is about 10.5 cm (4.1 inches) long. It weighs around 12 grams (0.4 ounces).
What They Look Like
Male yellow-bellied siskins are mostly black. But they have a bright yellow belly. Their tail sides and parts of their wings are also bright yellow.
Female siskins look a bit different. Their upper parts are dark olive green. Their underparts are pale yellow, getting brighter on their belly. They have a blackish tail and wings. Like the males, they also have bright yellow patches on their main wing feathers and tail sides.
Young siskins look like the females. However, their upper feathers have dusky edges. Their yellow wing and tail patches are also smaller.
Sounds They Make
The song of this bird is a pleasant, chattering twitter. Their call sounds like a sharp pyee.
Different Types of Yellow-Bellied Siskins
There is a special type of yellow-bellied siskin called S. x. stejnegeri. This type lives from southeastern Peru to central Bolivia. It is bigger than the siskins found further north. It also has a longer beak.
Male S. x. stejnegeri birds have larger yellow patches on their wings. They also have more black feathers on their sides. Female birds of this type are darker olive green on top compared to the northern siskins.
The yellow-bellied siskin prefers to live in forests. It is different from another bird that looks similar, the lesser goldfinch (Spinus psaltria). The lesser goldfinch is paler in color. It also has a white patch on its wing and sings a more musical song.
Yellow-Bellied Siskin Life and Habits
Yellow-bellied siskins make their homes in mountain oak forests. They live at high places, from 800 to 3,000 meters (2,600 to 9,800 feet) above sea level.
Nesting and Reproduction
Their nest is shaped like a shallow cup. They build it from small roots, tree bark, and lichens. They usually place their nest 2.4 to 3.7 meters (8 to 12 feet) high. They hide it in the thick leaves of a small tree in an open area.
The female bird lays two or three eggs. The eggs are white with a green tint. This usually happens in April or May. The female bird then sits on the eggs to keep them warm until they hatch. This is called incubation.
Traveling and Food
These birds do not travel long distances like some other birds. But they do move around within their home area when they are not having babies.
Sadly, in some places, like central Costa Rica, these birds have been caught a lot to be kept as pets. However, in remote or protected areas, they are still common. In these places, groups of up to 30 birds look for food together. They search in the tops of trees for small insects and oak flowers. Sometimes, they come down to open areas to find seeds. The male birds sometimes sing together in groups.
