Olivaceous Siskin
Spinus olivaceus
Small, yellow finch found in cloud forest along the east slope of the Andes. Note yellow patches in wings and tail. Male has a black hood. Difficult to separate from Hooded Siskin except by range and habitat. Olivaceous Siskin is generally found at lower elevations and prefers taller, more humid forest. Male may appear slightly more golden than male Hooded Siskin, but this is hard to judge. Female is always yellow below, whereas most (but not all) female Hooded Siskins in the area of overlap are grayish below. Not all birds can be safely identified.
Identification
The adult male olivaceous siskin has a black face, head, nape, throat and upper breast. It has a narrow collar of yellow and the rest of the upper parts, apart from the yellow rump, are olive green streaked with black. The greater wing coverts have a yellow edge, and this, with the yellow bases to the flight feathers, form a yellow panel when the bird is in flight. Underparts are yellowish-green with a dull yellow lower breast and belly. The tail is brownish-black, with the bases of the outer feathers yellow. The head of the adult female lacks the black of the male, and it and the upper parts are mainly yellowish-olive. The yellow rump, wings and tail are similar to those of the male. Beaks in both sexes are grey and legs are pinkish-brown or brown. Juvenile coloration is similar to the female's but is generally more brownish with the yellow parts being duller, buff or streaked with brown.
Taxonomy
Genus: Spinus; Family: Fringillidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Spinus olivaceus
- Authority
- Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1894
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Spinus
Range and habitat
This is a bird of the eastern side of the tropical high Andes. It ranges from northern Peru to La Paz and Cochabamba in Bolivia and to southeastern Ecuador, and has also been observed east of the Andes near Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia. Typically it is found between 1,200 and 3,000 metres (3,900 and 9,800 ft) above sea level, in forest clearings and forest verges.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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