Citril Finch Carduelis citrinella Scientific name definitions

11·5–12 cm; 12–14 g. Rather small, greenish finch with short pointed bill and fairly long, slightly forked tail. Male has forecrown to around eye and foreface yellowish-green, hindcrown to side of neck and ear-coverts ash-grey or light bluish-grey, tinged olive on ear-coverts; mantle to scapulars olive-green, tinged greyish, finely streaked darker, lower back to uppertail-coverts unstreaked dull yellowish-green, longest tail-coverts with dusky centres; tail blackish, edged yellow on outer webs at base, becoming whitish at tips; 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 greenish-yellow, vent to undertail-coverts yellow or whitish-yellow; iris dark brown; bill dark brown, paler or pinkish-grey base of lower mandible; legs pale brown. Female is similar to male, but duller or darker, head to side of neck, breast and upper flanks greyer (or nape and side of neck tinged brown), yellow on face greener and restricted to area from forehead to around eye and down to upper throat; mantle to scapulars dark grey-tinged olive and more heavily streaked darker, rump , uppertail-coverts and edges of outer tail feathers dull greenish-yellow; wing as for male, but tips of coverts narrower and fringes of tertials paler; chin and upper throat green, becoming ash-grey on throat, upper breast and side of breast to flanks, rest of underparts duller or greener, tinged yellow. Juvenile has lower forehead to around eye pale grey-brown, sometimes a pale or yellowish subocular crescent, 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 with dark streaks at side, tail with dull yellow or buffish edges on outer feathers, wings 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 with yellow tinge, flanks streaked finely brownish, vent and undertail-coverts unstreaked whitish-buff, bill dark horn; first-year like adult, but retains juvenile outer greater coverts, primary coverts, flight-feathers and tertials, male browner and more heavily streaked on mantle and back, tips of wing-coverts and edges of remiges and tail feathers buff with pointed tips (rounded on adult), chin and upper throat green to greyish, underparts greenish-yellow, mottled whitish on belly, female mantle and back brownish-olive, underparts paler yellow, and sides of throat to breast and upper flanks ash-grey to brownish-grey.

N, C and to a lesser extent S Spain E, discontinuously, to S & E France, N Italy, Switzerland, S Germany, E Austria and N Slovenia.

Montane and submontane woods of spruce (Picea), larch (Larix) and pine (Pinus), usually along edges and in clearings, also scattered clumps of conifers in otherwise open areas, also alpine meadows , ski-runs, roadside edges, and around alpine huts and gardens in towns, where it perches on roofs and wires; to 1450 m in Black Forest (Germany), mostly at 1400-­2000 m in Spain and 1800–2100 m in French Pyrenees, from c. 1350 m to tree-line in Alps, above 1200 m in Swiss Jura, and at 2500–3000 m in N Italy (W Alps). Sometimes breeds opportunistically at lower levels, down to 500 m, in years with good crop of pine seeds. Immediately following breeding often disperses to higher areas, up to 3300 m, before descending to lower-lying wintering areas. In non-breeding season found in similar habitat in sheltered valleys at lower levels, usually above 800–1000 m (lower in severe winters), including in birch (Betula) woods, also in alders (Alnus).

Partial short-distance migrant and altitudinal migrant. Birds from N Alps descend to lower levels from end Sept/early Oct and winter in sheltered and treeless valleys, especially in S & W of Alps; in milder winters remains at higher elevations, especially in S France and N Italy, until severe weather forces downward movement. Autumn passage through W Switzerland of up to 3000 individuals reaches peak in mid-Oct and completed by mid-Nov; also fairly nomadic in winter and may move around at lower levels of breeding range in search of foraging areas. In Switzerland winters regularly only in SW, most breeders from Swiss and S German Alps moving short distance to Mt Ventoux area of SC France (on SW edge of Alps), a journey of up to 600 km for some German breeders; individuals ringed in Switzerland recovered in N & C Italy and NE Spain, suggesting that many individuals regularly move similar short distances. Those breeding in Pyrenees and other parts of NE Spain descend to lower levels, occasionally reaching coastal areas (and even Balearic Is), but in NW Spain (Asturias) largely sedentary. In years with mass spruce seed production, some may remain during winter in Black Forest. Return movements in spring variable, from mid-Feb to mid-Apr, and largely influenced by late-winter snowfalls, some remaining in plains and low-altitude valleys to mid-May; during severe weather in spring, regular altitudinal movements to lower levels. Exceptionally, recorded in plains of C & N France; vagrant  to many areas including Finland, N Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Portugal and N Africa (Morocco E to Algeria). Deuterium analysis of the feathers of an individual trapped in Jun in the Shetland Is, Scotland, suggests that it probably came from the Black Forest–Vosges–Jura area, in the north of the species’ range (2 Förschler, M.I., Shaw, D.N. and Bairlein, F. (2011). Deuterium analysis reveals potential origin of the Fair Isle Citril Finch Carduelis citrinella. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. 131(3): 189–191. Close ).

Mostly seeds and buds of trees and other plants; some arthropods. Seeds and buds include those of spruce, pine, willow (Salix), birch, alder, dock (Rumex), orache (Atriplex), dandelion (Taraxacum), hawkbit (Leontodon), cat's-ear (Hypochoeris), hawkweed (Hieracium), chickweed (Stellaria), meadowsweet (Filipendula), rowan (Sorbus), thistles (Cirsium), knotgrass (Polygonum), mayweed (Matricaria), gentian (Gentiana), Chrysanthemum, arnica (Arnica), sherpherd's-purse (Capsella), mouse-ear (Cerastium), goosefoot (Chenopodium), amaranth (Amaranthus), buttercup (Ranunculus), whitlowgrass (Erophila), tormentil (Potentilla), lady's-mantle (Alchemilla), mountain avens (Dryas), burnet (Sanguisorba), clover (Trifolium), melilot (Melilotus), forget-me-not (Myosotis), wood sage (Teucrium), lavender (Lavandula), thyme (Thymus), nightshade (Solanum), plantain (Plantago), scabious (Knautia), rushes (Juncus), sedges (Carex) and various grasses (Gramineae). Insects taken include aphids (Aphidoidea), psyllids (Psyllidae), ants (Formicidae) and coleophorid moth larvae (Lepidoptera). Nestling diet either seeds or invertebrates regurgitated by adults; in Alps first broods may be reared entirely on spruce seeds, and in Black Forest entirely on mountain pine (Pinus mugo) seeds. Forages usually on ground or in trees  . Majority of food taken on ground , and extracts grass seeds while holding seedhead under foot. Perches in bushes, in trees and on roadside wires; probes into cones and catkins, but generally less able to cling to or hang upside-down from pine cones or thistleheads in manner of Acanthis flammea or Spinus spinus. In pairs or small groups; on passage and in non-breeding season usually very social, forming flocks  of several hundreds of individuals.

Song , throughout year (mostly in winter and during breeding season, rarely in autumn), from treetop or during display-flight, a continuous Serinus-like series of rapid, musical, liquid notes, including high-pitched phrases, repeated and interspersed with harsher twitters, rattles, buzzes, trills and call notes; may also introduce song with several individual notes before commencing continuous song. Calls include several notes similar to those given by both Serinus serinus and Spinus spinus, a metallic "di", "dit", "tiyie" or "tsiew" or variations, including "hui", "hwee" and lower-pitched "zui" and a slightly harsher "check" or "chwick", "tweek", "twick" or "chit" note, also longer "dididididid", or "chitt-tit-itt" or "check-eck-eck" recalling that of Linaria cannabina, also a ringing "pirriti".

Season end Mar or mid-Apr to Aug; two broods (yearlings only one). Monogamous. Solitary nester or loosely social in neighbourhood groups. Pair formation takes place in winter flocks or shortly after arrival in breeding areas; pair-bonding and courtship display include chasing of female by male, prolonged singing from song perches, and courtship feeding; also female emits begging call with bill open, head and neck feathers ruffled, and wings slightly open and quivering; male also performs slow butterfly-like display-flight. Nest built by female, a cup of dry grass, plant fibres, lichens, animal hair, feathers and occasionally wool or paper, placed up to 30 m (mostly to 9 m) above ground against trunk of tall tree, usually conifer, or at tip of strong horizontal branches, rarely in deciduous tree. Clutch 3–5 eggs, pale blue, sparsely spotted rust-brown and violet; incubation by female, period 13–14 days; chicks fed and cared for by both sexes until close to fledging, nestling period 15–21 days; young fed by parents for up to 3 weeks after leaving nest. Breeding success: of 55 eggs in study in N Italy, 45% successfully fledged young, average 2·8 young/successful nest; c. 48% fledgling/egg success both at 11 nests in Black Forest and at 50 nests in Catalonian pre-Pyrenees; severe weather during breeding season has strong effect on clutch size and nestling mortality. Breeds in first year. Recorded longevity 5 years 8 months.

Not globally threatened. Common or locally common; uncommon in Slovenia. Estimated global breeding population c. 250,000 pairs, majority of which (c. 230,000 pairs) in Spain. Breeding densities in French Alps 13 pairs/km² in pine, 21 pairs/km² in dry spruce and 18–30 pairs/km² in larch; locally high densities, e.g. 7–10 pairs/10 ha in Catalonian pre-Pyrenees. Identity of birds said formerly to have bred on Mallorca (Balearic Is) uncertain, possibly C. corsicana. Range expansion has been occurring in the Iberian Peninsula, probably following afforestation with conifers, with recent breeding nuclei along the Cantabrian Mts and in Andalucia (Sierra de Cazorla and Sierra Nevada) (3 Borrás, A., Cabrera, J., Colomé, X. and Senar, J.C. (2012). Una revisión sobre las metapoblaciones de verderón serrano: patrones y movimientos. Revista de Anillamiento. 29-30: 8–24. Close ). Has recently declined significantly at N edge of range (Black Forest, N Alps) (4 Förschler, M.I. and Dorka, U. (2010). Citril Finch Carduelis citrinella faces extinction at the northern edge of its distribution. Alauda. 78(2): 131–136. Close ), but other­wise not thought to be at risk.