Ankober Serin Crithagra ankoberensis Scientific name definitions

12–13 cm; 14–15 g. Medium-small, drab-coloured streaky finch with relatively long, slender bill. Male has feathers of forehead to nape finely streaked blackish-brown with buffish or light brown edges, slightly lighter brown on nape and side of neck (forming poorly defined pale collar), upperparts brown (paler on rump), thinly streaked darker or blackish; face grey or greyish-olive, small pale suborbital crescent, cheek unstreaked, ear-coverts finely streaked blackish, and olive or olive-grey moustachial stripe; tail dark brown, outer feathers edged paler grey; upperwing dark brown, median and greater coverts tipped pale brown or buff, secondaries finely edged buff-brown, tertials fringed grey-brown and tipped grey; chin and throat white or whitish-grey, spotted finely blackish, becoming pale buffish-brown with heavy grey or grey-brown streaking on breast to undertail-coverts; iris black; bill greyish-horn , paler lower mandible; legs dusky pinkish or pinkish-brown. Female is very like male, but cheek and moustachial area not so contrastingly pale. Juvenile is poorly known; considered similar to adult.

N & C Ethiopia (N Gonder and N Shoa Provinces, in Amhara Region; perhaps more widespread (1 BirdLife International (2016). IUCN Red List for birds. URL: http://www.birdlife.org (download Nov 2016). Close ) ).

Lower montane or submontane, windswept cliffs and hill tops with vertical bare rock faces, open grassy areas and low-spreading vegetation, including stunted tree-heath (Erica arborea), with rocks and lichen-covered boulders; occurs also in terraced patches of cereals, and grazed pasture strips. At 2620–4250 m.

Mostly seeds of grasses and herbs and of other locally available plants. Forages almost entirely on ground , usually in and around earth banks and rocks; often clings to vertical surfaces. In pairs and in groups of up to 60 individuals, on ground often in close proximity to or in contact with other flock-members; non-breeding flocks often restless, moving rapidly between rocks or flying up in compact group and circling around before dropping back down to ground. May associate loosely with C. tristriata and C. striolata.

VULNERABLE. Restricted range species: present in Central Ethiopian Highlands EBA. Generally little known. Scarce or uncommon, with population estimated at between 10,000 and 20,000 individuals. Recorded only a few times since its initial discovery, in 1976. Since 1991 recorded from four main sites, and annually in at least one of these. In 2002, total of 300 individuals found in three-day period in Abuna Yosef Mts (in Semien Wollo Zone). Thought likely to be more widespread in Ethiopian highland massif, perhaps in ecologically suitable habitat from Tigray, in N, S throughout Amhara Region. Considered to be at risk from increased cultivation, grazing pressure from sheep, goats and cattle, and habitat fragmentation; also from planting of trees, particularly Eucalyptus globulus and Cupressus lucitanica, at one site. Occurs in Simien Mountains National Park, which provides a reasonable degree of protection, and in a small area in Guassa Reserve, which is managed effectively by local community. Field surveys required in order to gain better knowledge of this species' full range and population size, and to evaluate possible threats.