Albania (B), Algeria, Andorra (B) (NB), Armenia (B) (NB), Austria (B) (NB), Azerbaijan (B) (NB), Bahrain (NB), Belarus (B) (NB), Belgium (B) (NB), Bosnia and Herzegovina (B), Bulgaria (B) (NB), China (mainland) (B), Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B) (NB), Cyprus (NB), Czech Republic (B) (NB), Denmark (B) (NB) (P), Egypt, Estonia (B) (NB), Faroe Islands (B), Finland (B) (NB) (P), France (B) (NB) (P), Georgia (B), Germany (B) (NB) (P), Gibraltar (NB), Greece (B) (NB) (P), Hungary (B) (NB), Iceland (B), Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B), Iraq (NB), Ireland (B) (NB), Israel, Italy (B) (NB), Japan (B), Jordan (NB), Kazakhstan (B), Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan (NB), Latvia (B) (NB), Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein (B) (NB), Lithuania (B) (NB), Luxembourg (B) (NB), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B) (NB), Malta (NB), Montenegro (B), Morocco, Netherlands Antilles (B) (NB), North Korea, Norway (B), Poland (B) (P), Portugal (NB), Romania (B) (NB), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B), Serbia (B), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B) (NB), Slovenia (B) (NB), South Korea, Spain (B) (NB), Sweden (B) (NB), Switzerland (B) (NB), Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan (China), Tunisia, Turkey (B) (NB), Ukraine (B) (NB), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (B) (NB), USA.
Vagrant to Afghanistan, Hong Kong (China), Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, St Pierre and Miquelon (NB), Tajikistan.
Breeds discontinuously throughout Europe from northern Scandinavia to northern and central Spain, Corsica, northern and southern Italy and Balkans to northern Greece, and continuously eastern from Baltic and eastern Poland through central parts of western Russia, north-central Kazakhstan and western Siberia to upper R Ob (irregularly to R Yenisey), and in southern from Ukraine, western Caucasus and north-western and northern Turkey east to northern Iran and northern Iraq; also in Russian Far East from L Baikal and Yablonovy Range east to Transbaikalia, Sea of Okhotsk coast, central Kamchatka, Ussuriland, Sakhalin I and north-eastern China (northern Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang), also northern Japan (central and eastern Hokkaido). Winters south to north-western Africa, Cyprus, northern and central Israel, south-western Iran, northern Mongolia, Korea, southern Japan, eastern and southern China and Taiwan.
Population
Estimated population is 30,000,000 - 70,000,000 (2010).
Eurasian Siskin (Spinus) [XC845039]
by Christian Vemmelund Helligs\u00f8 from Stavtrup, Aarhus Municipality, Central Denmark Region, Denmark (call)
Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) [XC858243]
by Simone Bocca from Jardim da escola da veiga, S\u00e3o Vicente, Braga, Portugal (call, flock)
Nest
A cup of conifer twigs, grass and moss, lined with hair and wool, high up in the outermost twigs of a conifer.
Eggs (Guide)
3 - 5; bluish with dark purplish or brown spots over reddish blotches.
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Thought to form a superspecies with Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) and Black-capped Siskin (Spinus atriceps). Recent phylogenetic analysis indicates that this species and Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus), at least, are only distantly related to the South American group of siskins, and has recently been suggested that they be separated in genus Spinus, but comprehensive review is required of all species currently included within present genus in order to determine true relationships.
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet