Salvadori's Serin Crithagra xantholaema Scientific name definitions

11 cm; 11–12 g. Small, plain-coloured , stout-billed finch with slightly forked tail. Has lower forehead to narrow superciliary stripe whitish, rest of forehead to crown and upper­parts to lower back pale grey or grey-brown, heavily streaked darker (dark brown feather centres) on mantle and scapulars; face and side of neck ash-grey , or slightly darker on ear-coverts, short dusky eyestripe behind eye; rump bright yellow, becoming duller on uppertail-coverts; tail brown, broadly edged pale buffish-brown, all outer feathers edged olive-green at base; upperwing dark brown, median and greater coverts edged and tipped slightly warmer brown, flight-feathers blackish, primaries edged olive-green, secondaries and tertials more broadly edged pale buffish-brown (extending to tips of tertials); chin white (white sometimes restricted to area beside bill base) or yellow, throat and centre of upper breast bright yellow, divided by fairly broad black or blackish-brown band; rest of underparts whitish or pale greyish-white with faint streaks, lower belly to vent white; iris dark brown or black; bill pale brown or brownish-horn; legs brown or pale brown. Sexes alike. Juvenile undescribed.

C & S Ethiopia: NW Harar, NW Bale and Sidamo (Borena Zone).

Semi-arid desert wadis and steep-sided valleys with scattered acacia (Acacia) thornbush, light Acacia-Commiphora woodland, also juniper (Juniperus) woodland, rocky limestone gorges and streambeds and watercourses; seems to favour scrubby vegetation. At 300–1970 m, mainly 1000–1500 m.

Sedentary.

Diet little known, but mostly seeds of a variety of dry-country plants. Recorded eating flowers  and buds . It often forages on the ground . Usually alone or in pairs, occasionally in small groups of up to six individuals.

No information. Season possibly Sept–Dec.

VULNERABLE. Poorly known. Discovered in 1880, and seen subsequently on c. 30 occasions between 1900 and 1970, and more frequently, perhaps annually, in recent years. Considered uncommon, but fairly widespread and may be more numerous than is presently known. At nearly all sites where recorded, including at least three which are listed as officially protected, increasing human population, combined with expansion of subsistence agriculture in previously uncultivated areas, and intensive grazing and cutting of trees and bushes for firewood at a number of sites, as well as gold-mining and hotel development, believed to be having an adverse impact on this species' small population.