Black-chinned Siskin Spinus barbatus Scientific name definitions

The Black-chinned Siskin is the most southerly-distributed of the siskins. It is common in edge habitats, scrub, and towns in central and southern Chile, southern Argentina, and on the Falkland Islands. Individuals gather in vocal, flighty flocks, feeding on the ground or in vegetation. Like other siskins, this species is yellow below, olive above, and has black wings with two yellow bars and a yellow patch on the primaries. It is heavy-billed for a siskin, and males can be identified by the black on their crown and the center of their throat. The female is duller and lacks the black markings of the male.

12–13 cm; 13–19·8 g (Argentina). Rather small, greenish-yellow finch with small bill, yellowish wingbars and notched tail. Male has forehead to crown and upper nape, lores, chin and centre of throat black, supercilium from behind eye to side of neck bright yellowish, tinged green, face olive or green, washed paler or yellowish; lower nape and upperparts olive-green, finely streaked darker, becoming yellow or yellowish-green on rump and uppertail-coverts (tips of some tail-coverts greyish); tail black or blackish, bases of all outer feathers bright yellow; median upper­wing-coverts black, fringed pale olive-green and tipped dull yellow, greater coverts similar but tipped bright yellow; alula and flight-feathers black, bases of primaries bright yellow (forming narrow patch), tertials black, edged pale greenish-yellow or pale buff; underparts bright yellow, washed green on flanks, belly whitish and undertail-coverts pale yellow with dark tips; iris black; bill dark brown or blackish, paler flesh-brown base of lower mandible; legs brown or pale flesh-brown. Female lacks black on crown and chin and, apart from bright yellow forehead, is slightly duller green above than male, streaked darker green, with fairly broad pale or bright yellow supercilium and side of neck, dull greenish-yellow or olive-yellow face, less extensive yellow on greater coverts and side of tail base, and underparts as on male or pale yellowish-grey, except for whitish belly to undertail-coverts; occurs also in a grey morph, greyer above and below, with supercilium much duller yellowish. Juvenile is similar to female, but paler, and generally more prominently but narrowly streaked darker green, rump pale greenish-yellow, tips of median and greater upperwing-coverts pale buff or buffish-yellow, lacks bright yellow on face and side of neck, has underparts mostly pale yellow, tinged greyer or olive on breast and flanks.

C & S Chile (Atacama S to Magallanes), S Argentina (S Mendoza and S La Pampa S to Tierra del Fuego) and Falkland Is.

Mostly small seeds, including those of tussac, wild celery (Apium australe) and dandelion (Taraxacum), and insects and their larvae; possibly also Empetrum rubrum berries. Forages mostly in weedy patches and at all levels, including canopy of trees; agile and active ; perches on tall stems of grass and tussac to extract seeds. In pairs and small groups; in non-breeding season often in larger flocks of up to 100 individuals, and in mixed-species groups often including S. magellanicus.

Song , given usually between May–Jul and Sept–Dec (on Falkland Is) from prominent perch or during display-flight, a loud series of musical phrases and trills , including many of the call notes and other typical siskin-like notes. Calls include rising "tsooeet", abrupt "chit" or "chit-tip" like that of a sparrow (Passer), and a more subdued "tsi-tsi-tsi", together with a more prolonged twittering note; also a short "chup" in flight.

Season Jul/Aug–Feb; up to three broods in Falklands. Nest a neat cup of fine grasses, roots and plant fibres and animal hair (including sheep wool), placed up to 2 m above ground in fork of bush. Clutch 3–5 eggs, pinkish-white, spotted or speckled with reddish-brown. No further information.