Red-fronted Serin

The red-fronted, or fire-fronted, serin is a small passerine of the finch family, 11–12 cm long, preferring high mountain regions. The plumage is variable, with adults resembling very dark redpolls: the foreparts are sooty and the forehead red, while juveniles have buff-brown heads. The call is a rapid, shrill titihihihihihi, like a linnet's. It breeds in the Caucasus and the higher mountains of Turkey and Iran, and is also found in Ladakh and other parts of the Indian Himalaya (Wikipedia, general species account).

Outside the breeding season it occurs in small flocks, typically seen searching through thistle patches. The bird will breed in captivity and thrives on canary grass seed, millet and other small seeds. SoIB 2023 rates it a Low conservation priority, a resident and altitudinal migrant of non-specialised habitat that eats plants and seeds, with a Moderate range of about 113,000 km² and a stable long-term trend (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).