Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range and the population size is extremely large, hence does not approach threatened thresholds for the range or population size criteria. The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion. For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
In Europe, the total population size is estimated at 594,000-1,920,000 mature individuals, with 297,000-958,000 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021), and comprises approximately 10% of the species' global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is between 5,940,000-19,200,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is desirable. In Europe the trend for this species is not known (BirdLife International 2021). As no other data are available to derive trends, the global population trend for this species is unknown.
Trend justification
.
The species breeds in montane and submontane forests of birch (Betula), pine (Pinus), juniper (Juniperus), spruce (Picea), willows (Salix) and larch (Larix), usually at or towards edge of forest, and rarely in dense areas. It also uses areas of dwarf junipers and scattered barberry (Berberis) scrub on open hillsides and above the tree-line, rhododendrons (Rhododendron), scree slopes, alpine and subalpine meadows, ravines and the upper edges of steep valleys. Outside the breeding season it is found in similar habitats as well as orchards and gardens at edges of human settlements, scattered trees on hillsides with low scrub, river valleys, rocky wadis and edges of cultivation. It breeds from April to August and usually lays three to five eggs. The nest is a neat, compact cup of dry grasses, strips of bark, plant fibres and down, moss, lichen, feathers and cobwebs, placed low down in bush or higher on branch or in fork, or against trunk, or on rock crevice, cliff ledge or in a hole in scree (Clement 2016). It feeds mainly on seeds, fruits and other plant material and sometimes takes small insects. The species is resident and an altitudinal migrant (Snow and Perrins 1998).
The species has declined in south-east Kazakhstan since the late 1960s as a result of trapping for the cagebird trade (Clement 2016).
Conservation Actions Underway
Bern Convention Appendix II.
Conservation Actions Proposed
Monitor the effects of trapping.
Text account compilers
Martin, R., Rutherford, C.A.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/red-fronted-serin-serinus-pusillus on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.