Skip to main content

Photo: Zeynel Cebeci / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Red-fronted Serin

Serinus pusillus

Red-fronted Serin (Serinus pusillus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 7 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

See what's near you right now

The Red-fronted Serin (Serinus pusillus) is a member of the Fringillidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 11.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Fringillidae Finches, Euphonias
  4. Genus Serinus
  5. Species pusillus

Where it lives

South-central temperate Palearctic in montane forest edge and alpine scrub: Turkey and Caucasus through northern Iran and southern Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and southeastern Kazakhstan to northwestern Xinjiang (northwestern China) and southwestern Mongolia; in south to south-central Iran, northern Baluchistan (north-central Pakistan) and western Himalayas to southwestern Tibet and west-central Nepal

Quick facts

Weight
11.5 g
Family
Fringillidae

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Red-fronted Serin is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Behaviour

A bird of rocky terrain, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Red-fronted Serin is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Red-fronted Serin (Serinus pusillus) belongs to the Fringillidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL sc temperate Palearctic in montane forest edge and alpine scrub: Turkey and Caucasus through n Iran and s Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and se Kazakhstan to nw Xinjiang (nw China) and sw Mongolia; in s to sc Iran, n Baluchistan (nc Pakistan) and w Himalayas to sw Tibet and wc Nepal.

It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.5 g, with a wing length of about 7.3 cm and a tail of around 5.1 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.8 million km².

Songs & calls

Red-fronted Serin — Call

Recorded by Frank Lambert Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Red-fronted Serin?

The Red-fronted Serin is a very small bird that weighs around 11.5 g.

Where does the Red-fronted Serin live?

The Red-fronted Serin is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL sc temperate Palearctic in montane forest edge and alpine scrub: Turkey and Caucasus through n Iran and s Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and se Kazakhstan to nw Xinjiang (nw China) and sw Mongolia; in s to sc Iran, n Baluchistan (nc Pakistan) and w Himalayas to sw Tibet and wc Nepal, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Red-fronted Serin belong to?

The Red-fronted Serin (Serinus pusillus) belongs to the Fringillidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Red-fronted Serin eat?

The Red-fronted Serin is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Does the Red-fronted Serin migrate?

The Red-fronted Serin is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Red-fronted Serin endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Red-fronted Serin make?

1 real field recording of the Red-fronted Serin — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Red-fronted Serin's range?

The Red-fronted Serin has a mapped global range of about 1.8 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Fringillidae

More in Songbirds

Guides for this bird

Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds

How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.

4 min read

Meet the Fringillidae

A field guide to the Fringillidae family — 238 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.

1 min read

Back to top