Question: Identification required.

[Ivan Garcia]

Hi All.
Can someone confirm if this is a female Siskin?.
The bird was quite far and so this image is a 100% crop, rezzed up 300% and sharpened. It was taken in my garden yesterday as she/he stopped for a drink at my pond.



Canon EOS 1Ds MKIII + EF 500mm f/4 L IS - ISO 200 - 1/800 sec - f/4 - Ec = -0.3 step hand held

Any help with the identification of the bird will be very much appreciated.

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Ivan Garcia

Any help with the identification of the bird will be very much appreciated.

Hello Ivan

I'm almost certain that it's a female Siskin, the male has a black cap, do you have a local RSPB reserve? their staff are always very helpful with identification, but I'm pretty sure that it is a female Siskin. Absolutely beautiful shot!

[Ivan Garcia]

Thank you Janet.
I am almost certain it is a female Siskin, but the bird differs a little form the description and photograph in my reference book. So , I am not 100% sure.
Glad you liked the shot, sadly is a 300% blow up so I can't really print it. Maybe next time she'll perch somewhere closer for a better shot.

[janet Smith]

Originally Posted by Ivan Garcia

I am almost certain it is a female Siskin, but the bird differs a little form the description and photograph in my reference book. So , I am not 100% sure

Hi Ivan

Just dug my reference book out too which describes Siskin's as tiny just slightly bigger than a wren, perhpas knowing the size of the bird may hep to ID it, my only other suggestion could be a Yellow Hammer in winter plumage if it's a larger bird, but these are a bit bigger than a House Sparrow, hope this helps and doesn't confuse the matter....

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Originally Posted by Ivan Garcia

Any help with the identification of the bird will be very much appreciated.

Hi Ivan,

It looks like a 'Carduelis spinus', probably female, but I'm not an ornithologist.

Bart

[Ivan Garcia]

Hi Bart.
That makes 3 of us, so it must be a Cardeuelis spinus (common name, Siskin).