Birds · Passeriformes · Fringillidae
European Serin
Serinus serinus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The smallest finch in Europe, plump in appearance with a very short, conical bill. Both sexes show a conspicuous greenish-yellow rump; the male adds an intense lemon yellow on the forehead, throat and breast in spring.
Weight
9 g – 15 g
Size
11 cm – 12 cm
Lifespan
3 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Estimated population
The Spanish population is estimated at between 14,724,845 and 16,006,591 birds in the Third Atlas; the European one, at between 17 and 40 million individuals
Fun facts
- GeneralThe wild European relative of the domestic canary; it sings from wires and aerials.
- It is a close relative of the wild canary and crosses with it in captivity, which made it popular among canary breeders.
- In spring it pecks calcium from walls and the ground to complete the formation of its eggshells.
- Its courtship flight is slow and butterfly-like, very different from the fast, undulating flight of the rest of the year.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Wooded farmland, orchards, parks and town gardens
- Birth weight
- The chicks weigh about 2 g at hatching
- Gestation / incubation
- 12-13 days, by the female alone. The chicks stay about 14 days in the nest and become independent 9 days after leaving it
- Litter / clutch size
- 3-5 bluish white eggs with reddish spots, with two or three clutches a year between March and July
Sources consulted: SEO/BirdLife (ficha y III Atlas de las aves en época de reproducción en España); IUCN Red List; Asturnatura; Borràs y Senar 2022, III Atlas; Clement 2020, Birds of the World (Cornell Lab); Ardeola (estudio del naranjal de Sagunto)
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year round; the males are among the first birds to sing in the arrival of spring
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 207 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with European Serin — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Trumpeter Finch
Bucanetes githagineus
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra
Common Linnet
Linaria cannabina
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinus
Eurasian Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about european serin.
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