Corsican Finch
A species of Eurasian Goldfinches and Citril Finches Scientific name : Carduelis corsicana Genus : Eurasian Goldfinches and Citril Finches
Corsican Finch, A species of Eurasian Goldfinches and Citril Finches
Botanical name: Carduelis corsicana
Genus: Eurasian Goldfinches and Citril Finches
Content
Description
Photo By Lars Petersson
Description
The Corsican finch (Carduelis corsicana), also known as the Corsican citril finch or Mediterranean citril finch, is a bird in the true finch family, Fringillidae. It was formerly regarded a subspecies of the citril finch, but it differs in morphology and vocalizations (Förschler & Kalko, 2007) as well as mtDNA sequence (Sangster, 2000, contra Pasquet & Thibault, 1997, Förschler et al. 2009) and they are now considered distinct species (Sangster et al., 2002, Förschler et al. 2009). Formerly, both were placed in the genus Serinus, but they appear to be close relatives of the European goldfinch (Arnaiz-Villena et al., 1998). It is found in Corsica and on the Italian islands of Sardinia, Elba, Capraia and Gorgona. It has dark-streaked brown upperparts and brighter yellow underparts than the citril finch does.
Size
11 cm
Feeding Habits
Corsican Finch forages in pairs or groups on various seeds (pine, grasses, herbs), expanding its diet in Sardinia with larval and pupal moths. They exhibit a 2 km foraging range from their nest when feeding young, and form large flocks outside breeding season, sometimes mingling with other species.
Habitat
Corsican Finch is typically found in a variety of habitats ranging from lowland maquis to montane dry scrub, as well as open to semi-open conifer forests, notably those dominated by European black pine and maritime pine. Additionally, corsican Finch inhabits heathlands rich in tree-heath, Genista, and bramble bushes, along with alder groves. During the non-breeding season, corsican Finch descends to maquis and scrub in lower-level valleys, plains, and coastal areas.
Dite type
Granivorous
Photo By Lars Petersson