Photo: Alandmanson / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Drakensberg Siskin
Crithagra symonsi
Drakensberg Siskin (Crithagra symonsi) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Drakensberg Siskin (Crithagra symonsi) is a member of the Fringillidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 15.8 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 Crithagra
- Species symonsi
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15.8 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Drakensberg Siskin is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Drakensberg Siskin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Drakensberg Siskin (Crithagra symonsi) belongs to the Fringillidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF South Africa.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 15.8 g, with a wing length of about 7.6 cm and a tail of around 5.9 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 37,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Drakensberg Siskin?
The Drakensberg Siskin is a small bird that weighs around 15.8 g.
Where does the Drakensberg Siskin live?
The Drakensberg Siskin is found across Africa with a range covering AF South Africa, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Drakensberg Siskin belong to?
The Drakensberg Siskin (Crithagra symonsi) belongs to the Fringillidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Drakensberg Siskin eat?
The Drakensberg Siskin is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Drakensberg Siskin migrate?
The Drakensberg Siskin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Drakensberg 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 Drakensberg Siskin make?
1 real field recording of the Drakensberg Siskin — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Drakensberg Siskin's range?
The Drakensberg Siskin has a mapped global range of about 37,000 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
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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.