unidentified chick

[Vipera]

Hi, whilst searching for reptiles today on some heathland in west Sussex we found this little chick, I confess i am not excellent at bird identification but i would really like to find out what this little bird is, although i guess iding a chick may be difficult because their plumage could different when they are young, plus its in the undergrowth so that covers up some of its plumage, well i may as well post a pic and who knows someone may be able to help.


Thanks,
Jay

[RKB]

Linnet

[rossy]

siskin looking at the speckled breast, rossy.

[davecatt]

Linnet

[valleyforge]

Compare this fledgling with the one on our website homepage ... he was Birt, who grew up to be a .... siskin.

[Vipera]

so 2 for Linnet and 2 for Siskin!

[Vipera]

After checking out some photos I think it looks more like the siskin, but the colours seem to bright on the pics ive seen, unless it is a chick and the colours gt more vivid as it gets older? it seems to resemble a pine siskin more but i think those are in the US, also the rspb website picture looks completley different, the head is rather dome shaped on that pic.
I did stumble across a pic of a bird called a Serin, which from what i can see can occasionly be found along the south of England, which is where this was, could it be a Serin?

[RoyW]

It looks more like a fledgling Siskin to me (the streaking on the head, breast and mantle seem a little too distinct for Linnet, and there are definitely two very distinct pale wing bars). I'd have to stress that I have little experience of either species when they are this young though.
Serin would be very unlikely, and this doesn't look like one anyway (they have much stubbier looking bills), Serins are a very scarce visitor to the UK and there are very few breeding records.
Siskin would also be a pretty unusual breeding species in Sussex, although a heathland habitat would be suitable (particularly if there are pines in the area).

[Vipera]

I think its safe to say its a young Siskin then, and i found there was another pic on the rspb bird id site, which shows a female which does look very much like my bird so i recon its a female siskin

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Vipera

Ii found there was another pic on the rspb bird id site, which shows a female which does look very much like my bird so i recon its a female siskin

When they are as young as the bird in your photo both sexes will look identical (or as near to identical to not really make a difference!).