Salvadori's seedeater or Salvadori's serin is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found only in Ethiopia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Region
Ethiopian Highlands
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in dry Afromontane habitats, especially brushy slopes, high-altitude shrublands, and forest edges. It favors areas with scattered bushes, seed-rich weeds, and lightly cultivated mosaics. Birds often use degraded juniper-hagenia fringes and fallow fields near villages. Outside the breeding season, it may descend slightly to drier scrub but remains largely tied to upland landscapes.
Altitude Range
1800–3400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called Salvadori's serin, this small finch is confined to the Ethiopian Highlands. It inhabits dry montane scrub and edges of Afromontane forest, where it forages quietly in low bushes and on the ground. Habitat loss from overgrazing, fuel-wood collection, and agricultural expansion poses its main threat. Look for a subtle yellow wash on the throat and a fine, tinkling song to pick it out among other seedeaters.
Temperament
wary but quietly active
Flight Pattern
bounding finch-like flight with short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically in pairs during the breeding season and in small loose flocks at other times, sometimes mixing with other seedeaters. Nests are small cups placed low in shrubs or bushes. Both parents attend the young, with the male often singing from a perch nearby.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A thin, tinkling series of twitters and trills, delivered from a shrub or during a brief song-flight. Calls are soft chips and buzzes that can be easily overlooked in windy upland scrub.
