Passeriformes / Fringillidae / Spinus
Tibetan Serin
Spinus thibetanus · 藏黄雀
Introduction
A true finch species in the family Fringillidae, formerly placed in the genus Serinus but now assigned to Spinus based on DNA analysis. It inhabits temperate forests in the Himalayas and surrounding regions.
Description
Length is around 12 cm (4.7 in). The species lacks yellow panels on its wings in all plumages. Adult males have olive-greenish upper parts, yellow underparts, a yellowish-green rump, yellow supercilium, and a yellow border behind the ear-coverts. Wing and tail feathers are broadly differentiated by a yellowish-green color. Adult females have black streaking on darker greyish-green upper parts, more clearly defined wing-bars than males, paler yellowish throats, and black-flanked breasts with streaking. Juveniles are duller green, tinged brownish-buff on upper parts, with duller rumps, buff fringes to greater coverts, and paler or heavily streaked underparts.
Distribution & Habitat
Found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Natural habitat is temperate forests. It spends the winter in the central and eastern Himalayas, often in alder trees. Breeding occurs in mixed forests. Presence was recorded in Hee Village near Varsey Rhododendron Sanctuary, Sikkim, India, in March 2013.
Behavior & Ecology
Produces a soft chattering sound described as similar to 'twang twang'.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Spinus
Distribution
breeds montane coniferous forest of southeastern Tibet, Sichuan, northern Myanmar, and northwestern Yunnan (southwestern China); winters to lower elevations, western Nepal to Arunachal Pradesh (northeastern India)
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
