Eurasian Siskin

Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) is a small lively finch with yellow-green plumage, dark streaks and black-and-yellow wings; males have a black crown. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It inhabits coniferous and mixed woodland across Europe and Siberia, feeding acrobatically on alder and conifer seeds and wandering in flocks according to seed crops outside breeding. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).