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Red-fronted Serin
(Serinus pusillus)
: "Fire-fronted Serin"
German name(s): "Rotstirngirlitz"
Size: 10.5-13 cm
Weight: 9.5-13.5 g
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Red-fronted Serines are medium-sized finches. The
plumage
of both sexes is identical.
Except for their name-giving bright-red forehead, Red-fronted
Serins have a black head with some lighter streaking. Down
the front the chin can also be entirely black, while the chest
belly and flanks have decreasing amounts of dark streaking on
a cinnamon to yellowish base colour. Towards the belly and vent
there is no more streaking. The back and wings are mostly black,
with cinnamon to yellowish edge lining on the feathers, including wing
feathers and tail.
The irises are dark. The stubby triangular bill is dark-grey,
while the legs and feet are near-black.
Juveniles
do not have a red forehead yet. Their head is cinnamon,
with darker streaking. The back has prominent dark streaking on
a cinnamon base, as do the flanks. Chin and chest are largely
cinnamon, lightening gradually to a creamy colour towards the
vent.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Red-fronted
Serin at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Red-fronted Serin is available
HERE
.
The distribution of the Red-fronted Serin ranges from Asia
Minor and the Caucasus mountain range, via south-western Asia,
into central Asia (around the base of the eastern Himalayas).
In Europe Red-fronted Serins are normally found only in the
extreme south-eastern corner of the continent, on the northern
side of the Caucasus. Vagrants crossing over from Turkey are
sometimes found in Greece.
Red-fronted Serins have a preference for mountainous terrain,
often near the treeline in coniferous or mixed forest, nesting
in dense shrubs or trees, often near watercourses. In winter
they move locally to lower altitudes, but otherwise they are
sedentary.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
We have not seen a Red-fronted Serins in Europe yet.
D. Wilczynska reports finding the species in Georgia, on the
southern fringes of the Caucasus mountain range.
All photographic information presented on this page has been
kindly contributed by D. Wilczynska.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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Frontal view of an adult Red-fronted Serin
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Lateral view of a Red-fronted Serin
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Lateral view of a Red-fronted Serin
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a Red-fronted Serin
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.