During an expedition to southern Guyana in 2000, researchers from the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Kansas were surprised to see a red siskin flying overhead. A small bird with a bright red chest, the red siskin (Spinus cucullatus) had never been observed outside Venezuela, Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago. And even in those […]

Key Ideas

  • The red siskin has long been sought out by illegal bird traders and breeders due to its unique red-and-black plumage and cheerful song.

  • The endangered species had almost disappeared from tropical South America until 2000, when a population was recorded in the South Rupununi region of Guyana.

  • Local Indigenous communities have rallied behind the small bird, successfully maintaining population levels and encouraging a broader conservation movement that focuses on education and deterring poaching.