Oriental Greenfinch (Chloris sinica)

OTHER NAMES: Grey-capped Greenfinch, Chinese Greenfinch

Latin Etymology: Chloris ("finch/greenfinch") sinica ("Chinese")

Adult Oriental Greenfinch (subspecies C. s. minor) at Kyu Yasuda Park, Tokyo, Japan - July 2013

Featured Subspecies: Chloris sinica minor
Weight: 31g  /  Length: 15cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS  / IUCN Red List Least Concern

The Oriental Greenfinch, is as the name suggests essentially the Greenfinch of East Asia, although physically it resembles a cross between a Goldfinch and Greenfinch.  Also known as the Grey-capped Greenfinch, it can be seen in a wide variety of habitats both urban and rural.  It doesn't seem to be that confiding, on my trip to Kyoto I saw in on numerous occasions, largely in flight or high in the trees, while on my Tokyo trip, I got this much better view.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Chloris
Subspecies: C. s. sincica, C. s. chabarowi, C. s. ussuriensis, C. s. kawarahiba, C. s. minor, C. s. kittlitzi

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - カワラヒワ  /  Kawara hiwa  ("River-bed Siskin")

 A locally common resident.

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: Common throughout Kyoto

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Several seen in Tokyo

Further Notes: Birdforum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto