The red siskin (spinus cucullatus) is a type of finch. It is a small bird that is only about 3.9 inches tall. In the wild, they live for about 4 years. In captivity they can live for around eight years, which is a long time for birds. They eat a variety of foods such as seeds and plants. In captivity they generally receive various seed mixes. While male red siskin’s are generally bright red with hints of black, female siskin’s have a similar color scheme that is duller. Females also do not have a black hood. The red color also only appears on the upper part of the breast for the females unlike males where it covers their whole front. Red siskins are born grey but molt about three to four months later and their bright coloration begins to appear then.

Red siskins use vocalizations like many other birds. They have chatters and trills. Click here for a good video that although depicts red siskins as pets, shows what they sound like!

Red siskins inhabit all of northern Venezuela, from tropical forests to deserts. However, red siskins generally prefer drier areas that range from 1312 to 4593 feet above sea level. Like many other birds, red siskins migrate based on the seasons. Today, their habitat is small and few colonies exist, there may only be a couple hundred of these birds left.

They are seasonal breeders and create their cup-shaped nests high up in trees. Red siskins usually lay around four eggs that hatch after 12 days. Females take care of the chicks and the young birds have all their feathers 12 days after hatching.

Red siskins were classified as endangered in 1952 by the ICUN. This is because of trapping and habitat destruction. They were trapped because of their red coloring, the feathers were fashionable and in the early twentieth century women used to wear the whole bird on their hats. They were also hybridized with canaries to create a new breed. Trappers used only male birds so that they could not breed and the need for more wild-caught birds would exist. This caused a significant decline in red siskin population. Red siskins are also losing their habitat because they live in areas that people would like to inhabit. However there is a chance that these birds can continue to live in populated areas. A major future threat to the red siskin population would be that a population decline would cause inbreeding. If the birds inbreed they lose genetic diversity and the ability to protect against disease which would further hurt their species.

In 2000 a new population of red siskins was found in southern Guyana. The Red Siskin Initiative attempts to protect the birds living in Guyana and to re-establish a population in Venezuela. Today, red siskins are still captured and often kept as pets or have their feathers used for decorations or on clothes. This practice has been going on for a very long time and a lot of people don’t understand why it’s harmful because birds generally are not as cared about as endangered mammals would be. Since red siskins are similar to canaries it can be misleading for a lot of people. Although these birds do not have a large impact on their environment, like other small birds or animals, they have been around for hundreds of years and are important to study. They can give insight on evolution and they deserve to live.

It is important that these birds are preserved. If you would like to help the conservation cause for red siskins, or get more information on these birds, you can donate to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute or you can go straight to the Red Siskin Initiative.

“Red Siskin.” Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/red-siskin.

Red Siskin. Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Intstitute, nationalzoo.si.edu/conservation/red-siskin-initiative.

De Volder, Linda. The Red Siskin. 12 May 2016. Flickr, www.flickr.com/photos/lindadevolder/26936290311.

Red Siskins. Red Siskin Initiative, www.redsiskin.org/articles/32.