Serin

There’s a small, noisy flock of birds in the trees in this Italian park. I think they might be Siskins. They’re too small for Greenfinches. I’ve seen Siskins before in Italy:

These are different, though.

Serin - Caffarella - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

They look so beautiful against the azure sky. They must be Serins. I’ve seen a Serin in Italy before too:

I thought it looked like a Siskin then as well, but knew it wasn’t.

There’s a male in the trees:

Serin - Caffarella - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

He’s much brighter; the colour of banana toffee whirls.

Their scientific name is the imaginative Serinus serinus.

I check the RSPB’s website. There are 1-2 breeding pairs in the UK. And the number who pass through the UK in a year? Clickety click 66. That’s a tragically small number.

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