Yellow-faced Siskin

Yarrellzeisig (Carduelis yarrellii )

The Yarrellzeisig (Carduelis yarrellii ) is a tropical Fink from Brazil and Venezuela. It was named after the British ornithologist William Yarrell.

Description

This ten -centimeter bird stands out with its bright yellow color on the face and bottom. The male has a black bonnet. The face, the nape of the neck and the bottom are colored light yellow. The bright yellow olive top has dark olive-colored stripes. The lower back is yellow. The wings are black with a yellow border to the wing-coverts olive and bright yellow wing bars, wing mirrors and shield springs. The female has a yellow olive hood, the bottom and the lower back are characterized by an intense yellow color. The song consists of complex, diverse, high and piercing trills.

Occurrence

Its distribution is limited to two areas in northern Venezuela and northeastern Brazil, which are 3500 kilometers away from each other. In Brazil, it is known from the following protected areas: Pedra Talhada (Alagoas ), Serra Negra ( Pernambuco), Saltinho Biological Reserves ( Pernambuco), Serra da Capivara National Park ( Piaui ) and Tapacurá Ecological Station ( Pernambuco). In Venezuela, he is known from the southeastern Carabobo region. Little is known about his life. It inhabits the edges of secondary forest, but you can also find it on plantations, pastures and even populated areas at an altitude up to 550 m above sea level.

Endangering

The Yarrellzeisig is a highly sought after for decorative bird cage bird breeders. The bad habit, various Zeisigarten to cross each other (also known as mutation breeding ), led to a depletion of the gene pool of this species in captivity, which had to be compensated by getting new wild-caught. This species is protected by CITES Appendix II Agreement. In the 1980s, however, began the illegal trade of this kind to boom, so that ( for example on the market in Caxias Rio de Janeiro) was able to find up to 100 birds per year on some bird markets. Another reason for its endangerment is the use of pesticides.