The Red Siskin is a bird in South America whose population dropped sharply over the last 100 years. They are endangered because people capture them for breeding, and because their forest habitat has been converted into farmland.
Body length: 10 cm
(Source: Doubutsu Sekai-isan* Red Data Animals Kodansha) (*World Animal Heritage)
The Red Siskin lives in the northern part of the South American continent, in places such as Venezuela and Columbia.
They like to eat seeds from trees. Sometimes they also eat flowers and cactus fruit.
Originally, the Red Siskin lived in flocks except during the mating period. Now, their numbers are so low that it would be extremely rare to see a flock of Red Siskins at all.
Popularity of Canaries causes Red Siskin to disappear?!
The Red Siskin is now an extremely rare bird because so many have been captured for breeding over the last 100 years. Although they were bred, it was not necessarily because of their popularity as pets. Rather, they are used for crossbreeding with the more popular Canary because it was thought the offspring Canaries would bear red feathers.
Once habitat, now farmland...
To make matters worse, the Red Siskin is also losing its habitat. Much of their forest and grassland habitat has been turned into farmland. On top of that, a recent appreciation for their beauty has led to their increased captivation as pets. Although it is now illegal to capture the Red Siskin in their major habitat of Venezuela, poaching for the pet trade has yet to cease.
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