European serin

    Serinus serinus

Castilian: Verdecillo

Catalan: Gafarró

Gallego: Xirín

Euskera: Txirriskil arrunta

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Fringillidae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

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THREATS

Although it is not seriously threatened, illegal trapping and the abuse of pesticides and herbicides in olive groves and on other crops affect this species.

Length / size: 11,5 cm / 20-23 cm

Identification: Small bird with a short, wide bill and a conspicuous greenish rump. Its back, belly and flanks have dark vertical stripes. The male's forehead, throat and breast are an intense yellow. It could possibly be confused with the siskin, but it lacks the siskin's yellowish bands and its bill is smaller.

Song: A buzzing "zirrrrrl" call. The male's song is a fast and continuous chirp that consists of several verses.

Diet: It feeds on the seeds of ephemeral and biennial plants. It sporadically pecks at fleshy fruits and occasionally consumes insects.

Reproduction: In the south, the breeding period begins in February, while in the northern areas of the peninsula, it begins in May. The female builds a nest for each clutch using branches, roots and lichens, lining the inside with hairy elements. She also performs the incubation, but it is the male that is in charge of feeding the chicks.

HABITAT

Species with a variable habitat, typical in open Mediterranean forests. It is even often found in parks and gardens. In winter its distribution is expanded to farming areas with less tree cover.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: Widely distributed throughout the entire peninsula. It is only absent in treeless areas during breeding season.

In Castile and León: Spread out across all the provinces but absent in treeless areas of Palencia. The highest densities are located in León, Zamora, and northern Salamanca.

Movements and migrations: It is considered a partially migratory species. European specimens arrive during the unfavourable period. Northern and central peninsular populations move down to the most southern coasts, crossing the Mediterranean Sea and wintering in northern Africa. They return in February and May.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 4.1 to 6.6 million breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: