Corsican Finch Carduelis corsicana Scientific name definitions

11 cm; 11–12 g. Small, yellowish and brown finch with fairly long, forked tail. Male has forecrown to around eye and foreface bright yellow, lores blackish, hindcrown to side of neck and ear-coverts ash-grey or light bluish-grey, tinged olive on ear-coverts; mantle to scapulars and lower back warm brown or cinnamon-brown, heavily streaked dark grey, rump and uppertail-coverts unstreaked dull yellowish, longest tail-coverts pale grey with dusky centres; tail blackish, finely edged whitish; lesser and median upperwing-coverts bright yellowish-green, greater coverts black, broadly tipped bright yellowish; alula, primary coverts and flight-feathers black, finely edged (flight-feathers also tipped) yellow or yellowish-green, tertials more broadly fringed yellowish; chin and throat yellowish-green, side of breast (from side of neck) to upper flanks pale grey, centre of breast and belly yellowish, tinged green, vent to undertail-coverts white or tinged yellow; iris dark brown; bill dark brown, paler base of lower mandible; legs pale brown. Differs from C. citrinella in shorter and more rounded wing and shorter tail, smaller bill, shorter legs, brighter yellow on face restricted to lower forehead, blackish lores, cinnamon-brown upperparts, duller yellow rump, and more yellow in underparts. Female is similar to male, but duller or darker, head to sides of neck, breast and upper flanks brownish-grey, yellow on face restricted to upper lores, around eye and chin; mantle to scapulars more heavily streaked darker, rump, uppertail-coverts and edges of outer tail feathers dull greenish-yellow; wings as for male, but fringes of tertials paler; upper throat tinged green, becoming pale grey at side and on upper side of breast, flanks duller or greener, tinged yellow. Juvenile has lower forehead to around eye pale grey-brown, sometimes a pale subocular line, forecrown to nape and side of neck buffish-brown, finely streaked darker, upperparts slightly warmer brown, broadly streaked darker, rump and uppertail-coverts paler buff or tawny-brown, streaked darker at sides, tail with dull yellow or buffish edges of outer feathers, wing dark brown, median and greater coverts broadly tipped rusty-buff to pale creamy, flight-feathers finely edged and tipped buffish-brown, tertials more broadly fringed buff-brown, chin and throat brownish-grey, becoming dark-streaked buffish-brown on breast to centre of upper belly, rest of underparts light buff, tinged yellow, flanks streaked finely brownish, vent and undertail-coverts unstreaked pale or whitish-buff, bill dark horn; first-year like adult, but retains juvenile outer greater coverts, primary coverts, flight-feathers and tertials, male with browner and more heavily streaked mantle and back, tips of wing-coverts and edges of flight-feathers and tail feathers buff with pointed tips (rounded on adult), chin and upper throat green to greyish, underparts greenish-yellow, belly mottled whitish, female mantle and back brownish-olive, underparts paler yellow, side of throat to breast and upper flanks ash-grey to brownish-grey.

Corsica, Sardinia, and smaller islands of Gorgona, Capraia and Elba.

Seeds of European black pine, grasses (Poa, Briza) and herbs, including dandelion (Taraxacum); on Corsica mainly shepherd's-purse (Capsella), chickweed (Stellaria), mouse-ear (Cerastium), daisy (Bellis), dock (Rumex), black medick (Medicago lupulina), trefoil (Trifolium), thistle (Carlina), heaths (Erica), hyoseris (Hyoseris), knotgrass (Polygonum), rosemary (Rosmarinus) and whitlowgrass (Erophila); on Sardinia also larval and pupal ermine moths (Parahyponomeutidae). In pairs and small parties in trees, shrubs and on ground ; forages up to 2 km from nest-site when feeding nestlings. In non-breeding season occurs in flocks of up to 200, and often associates with S. serinus.

Song  , from late Feb and throughout breeding season, a loud series of segmented phrases given in fairly rapid succession (but considerably slower pace than that of C. citrinella), interspersed with occasional descending buzzing trills and rattles; sometimes introduced with high-pitched rising notes or rattling note, before continuing with lower-pitched and modulated notes interspersed with trills and call notes. Calls  include several notes similar to those of C. citrinella, but in general longer, lower and less frequency-modulated, e.g. a series of "de" or "yu" notes; also a long, metallic twitter similar to that given by Spinus spinus.

Season mid-Mar to at least Jun; two broods. Nest a loose and shallow cup of fine grasses, plant fibres and down, moss, animal hair and feathers, placed up to 3 m above ground in low tree-heath, Genista, bramble, evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) or juniper, generally much lower than that of C. citrinella; some nests higher up in large pine. Clutch 2–5 eggs (average clutch size lower than that of C. citrinella), pale blue, sparsely spotted blackish or rust-brown; no information on incubation and nestling periods. Breeding success 40·9% for 19 nests in Corsica, Sardinia and Capraia.