About Spinus barbatus (Molina, 1782)
The black-chinned siskin, Spinus barbatus, reaches an adult length of about 13 centimetres (5 inches). Males have black coloring on the crown and the center of the upper throat. The rest of the head and upper body are yellowish-olive with black streaking. They have a yellow rump, black wings with two yellowish bars and a yellow patch on the primary feathers, greenish-yellow underparts, and a white belly. Females have a similar overall shape to males, but their coloration is more muted, and they lack the black markings on the head and throat. Female black-chinned siskins have greyish-olive coloring on the head and back, pale yellowish-olive underparts, and a whitish belly. This species is most likely to be confused with the hooded siskin, Spinus magellanica. However, the hooded siskin does not range as far south as the black-chinned siskin; male hooded siskins have a larger black area on the head and throat, and female hooded siskins have a yellow rump. The black-chinned siskin is native to southern Chile, southern Argentina extending south to Tierra del Fuego, and the Falkland Islands. It occurs at altitudes up to around 1,500 metres (4,900 feet). Its habitat includes forest edges, open light woodland, bushy areas, gardens, and urban areas. It is typically found in flocks and often feeds on the ground.
