# European Serin (*Serinus serinus*) The European Serin is a small, cheerful bird with a bright yellow color. They love to sing sweet songs and can often be seen flitting around gardens and parks. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![European Serin](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Serin_cini_mars.JPG&width=800) Photo: Ghislain38, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Serin_cini_mars.JPG) ## Appearance The European Serin is a tiny, bright yellow-green finch, with males sporting a vibrant yellow face and breast. It has a streaked back and flanks, a conical bill, and a noticeably short, forked tail. Its small size and bold yellow markings make it distinct. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Fringillidae - **Genus:** Serinus ## Interesting facts - Its song sounds like a tiny bicycle bell ringing rapidly! - Serins often feed upside down to reach seeds on plant stalks. - They use spiderwebs to weave their cozy, cup-shaped nests. - Young serins are fed insects, but quickly switch to a seed diet. ## Special abilities - **Seed-Cracking Beak:** European Serin has a strong conical bill that helps them easily crack open tough seeds to get to the nutritious inside. - **Rapid Trilling Song:** European Serin can produce a high-pitched, rattling song because of its specialized vocal cords that helps them attract mates. - **Agile Flight Acrobat:** European Serin can fly with quick, undulating movements because of its small wings and lightweight body that helps them dodge predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 11-12 cm - **Wingspan:** 18-20 cm - **Weight:** 0.0085-0.014 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-5 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 11-13 days - **Migration Distance:** 2000 km ## Diet & Feeding Tiny seeds from weeds and plants are its favorite meal, with insects for its growing chicks. - **Age differences:** Chicks are fed small insects like aphids and caterpillars, then transition to an adult seed diet. - **Primary Foods:** Dandelion seeds, Thistle seeds, Plantain seeds, Chickweed seeds, Aphids, Small caterpillars - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Eurasian Sparrowhawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-sparrowhawk) (*Accipiter nisus*) — A common predator of small passerine birds. - **Eaten by:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Felis catus*) — Opportunistic predator in gardens and parks. - **Depends on:** [Common Dandelion](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-dandelion) (*Taraxacum officinale*) — Relies on its abundant seeds for food. - **Depends on:** [Creeping Thistle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/creeping-thistle) (*Cirsium arvense*) — Feeds heavily on the seeds of this plant. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds, but remember not to disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify European Serin? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is European Serin? 11-12 cm ### What is European Serin's wingspan? 18-20 cm ### How much does European Serin weigh? 0.0085-0.014 kg ### How long does European Serin live? 2-5 years ### How fast can European Serin move? 45 km/h ### What does European Serin eat? Tiny seeds from weeds and plants are its favorite meal, with insects for its growing chicks. ### Where is European Serin usually found? Urban areas ## Where to spot - [La Gola Wetland Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/la-gola-wetland-park) — Mallorca, Illes Balears, ES · Park - [Jardín del Turia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jard-n-del-turia) — Spain, ES · Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [European Serin: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-serin)