A small canary with a large head, the Syrian Serin ( Serinus syriacus) - also known as Tristram’s Serin - is prettily coloured with bright yellow and pale grey feathers. The eyes are large and are surrounded by a bright yellow ring. The beak is grey and the legs are pale pinkish-grey. The Syrian serin breeds not only in Syria but also in Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. The population in Jordan makes local movements in winter, but the birds of Lebanon, Israel and Syria migrate to wintering grounds in Egypt, Turkey and Iraq. They inhabit rocky areas with oak and conifer shrubs or trees, grasslands and fields, feeding mainly on the seeds of annuals and grasses.
