Photo: Antonio Arnaiz-Villena, Valentin Ruiz-del-Valle / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-headed Siskin
Spinus notatus
Black-headed Siskin (Spinus notatus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-headed Siskin (Spinus notatus) is a member of the Fringillidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 10.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Fringillidae Finches, Euphonias
- Genus Spinus
- Species notatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 10.9 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-headed Siskin is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-headed Siskin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-headed Siskin (Spinus notatus) belongs to the Fringillidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA Mexico to Nicaragua.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 10.9 g, with a wing length of about 6.5 cm and a tail of around 4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 488,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-headed Siskin?
The Black-headed Siskin is a very small bird that weighs around 10.9 g.
Where does the Black-headed Siskin live?
The Black-headed Siskin is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA Mexico to Nicaragua, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-headed Siskin belong to?
The Black-headed Siskin (Spinus notatus) belongs to the Fringillidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-headed Siskin eat?
The Black-headed Siskin is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Black-headed Siskin migrate?
The Black-headed Siskin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-headed Siskin 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 Black-headed Siskin make?
1 real field recording of the Black-headed Siskin — 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 Black-headed Siskin's range?
The Black-headed Siskin has a mapped global range of about 488,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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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.
Meet the Fringillidae
A field guide to the Fringillidae family — 238 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.