Yellow-rumped siskin | American birds

   ›      ›   Yellow-rumped siskin - Spinus uropygialis

The yellow-rumped siskin (Spinus uropygialis) belongs to the family of siskins, canaries and grosbeaks, the Fringillidae.

The yellow-rumped siskin is distributed in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. The siskin species are partially migratory. These siskins are monotypic.

Overview & Quick Facts Description & Identification
Pictures of Yellow-rumped Siskin Distribution & Range
Ecosystem & Habitat Diet & Feeding Behavior
Breeding Habits Migration & Movement Patterns
Conservation & Survival IUCN Status
Taxonomy & Classification Bird World

Appearance, physical description and identification

The yellow-rumped siskin (Spinus uropygialis) is a small siskin, measuring 12 to 13 cm in length and weighing 14 to 15 grams.

The yellow-rumped siskin has black hood covering head, face, neck and throat. The back and wing coverts are blackish. The rump and the underparts are yellowish. The tail is notched.

The bill is conical, pointed and dark gray. The legs and feet are blackish. The irises are blackish. There is a pale eye-ring. Their call is a sharp, loud twittering sound.
Yellow-rumped siskin - Spinus uropygialis
Yellow-rumped siskin - Spinus uropygialis
Image by Bartlett, Edward


Origin, geographical range and distribution

The yellow-rumped siskin are distributed in south and central Peru, western Bolivia, central Chile and northwest Argentina.

Ecosystem and habitat

The yellow-rumped siskin species have low forest dependence. They normally occur in altitudes between 2000 to 3500 meters. The artificial ecosystems and habitats include agricultural lands and rural gardens.

The natural ecosystems and habitats of the siskin species include tropical and subtropical montane forests, tropical and subtropical dry shrublands and high altitude shrublands, mountain slopes and lightly wooded plains.

Diet and feeding behavior

The diet of the yellow-rumped siskin species consists mainly of small seeds. Plant seeds, grass seeds and small insects are their primary food. They forage on the ground or on low bushes.

Reproduction and breeding habits

The breeding season of the yellow-rumped siskin species is from February to May in most of their breeding range. Not much is known about their reproduction and breeding habits.

Migration and movement patterns

These species are partially migratory birds. The breeding populations occur in Chile and Argentina. These species winter in Peru and Bolivia. There is also altitudinal migration and erratic wandering in non-breeding season.

Yellow-rumped siskin - Quick Facts

  • Scientific name: Spinus uropygialis
  • Species author: (PL Sclater, 1862)
  • Synonyms/Protonym: Chrysomitris uropygialis P. L. Sclater, 1862
  • Family: Fringillidae › Passeriformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
  • Vernacular names: English: Yellow-rumped siskin, Chinese: 黄腰金翅雀, French: Tarin à croupion jaune, German: Kordillerenzeisig, Spanish: Jilguero cordillerano, Russian: Желтопоясничный чиж, Japanese: キゴシクロヒワ
  • Other names: Yellow-rumped Siskin
  • Distribution:Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina
  • Diet and feeding habits: insects, seeds
  • IUCN status listing: Least Concern (LC)

Conservation and survival

The global population size of the yellow-rumped siskin (Spinus uropygialis) has not been quantified. The overall population trend of the species is reported to be stable.

In most of its range, this siskin species is reported to be fairly common but patchily distributed (Stotz et al. 1996). The generation length is 4.2 years. Its distribution size is about 216,000 sq.km.

Ecosystem degradation, ecosystem conversion, deforestation, human activities in the breeding range and capture of adults and juveniles for pet-trade are the main threats that may endanger the survival of the species.

IUCN and CITES status

The Spinus uropygialis species does not approach the thresholds for being Vulnerable either under the range size criterion or under the population trend criterion or under the population size criterion.

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated the species and has listed it as of "Least Concern (LC)".

The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) status is ‘Not Evaluated’ for the yellow-rumped siskin (Spinus uropygialis).
Taxonomy and scientific classification of Spinus uropygialis
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Fringillidae
Subfamily:-
Genus:Spinus
Species:S. uropygialis
Binomial name:Spinus uropygialis
IUCN status listing:
Least Concern
The yellow-rumped siskin (Spinus uropygialis) is closely related to the hooded siskin (Spinus magellanicus). It hybridizes with S. magellanicus in southern Peru.
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Yellow-rumped siskin image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14563890138/
Image author: Bartlett, Edward, d. 1908 | License: No known copyright restrictions
Link to Creative Commons copyright licenses


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