[sis-kin] 
| any of several small, cardueline finches, esp. Carduelis spinus, of Europe. |
| sis·kin (sĭs'kĭn) n. Any of several small finches, such as Carduelis spinus, a greenish-yellow finch of Eurasia related to the goldfinch, or the pine siskin of North America. [Obsolete Dutch sīsken, from alteration of Middle Dutch, diminutive of sīs, from Middle Low German csītze, probably from Czech číž, of imitative origin.] |
siskin
any of about 20 small, brown-streaked birds, marked with yellow, that belong chiefly to the genus Carduelis (including Spinus) of the family Carduelidae (q.v.). Siskins occur from cold northern regions, worldwide, to the Cape of Good Hope and to Cape Horn. All have conical bills and short forked tails. They flock in fields to feed on weeds, and they make wheezy sounds, often in flight. The 11-centimetre (4.5-inch) pine siskin (C. pinus) of North America has yellow wing and tail bars. The common siskin (C. spinus) of Europe has a black cap and yellow-tinged breast.
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