A resident, passing migrant and winter visitor to Cyprus and the Akamas. It is quite a common species, especially in the winter when it becomes gregarious, while in the spring and summer it’s found mainly in pairs.

It is observed in a wide variety of habitats, mainly in open areas with plenty of trees and shrubs and in sparsely wooded areas. Quite often it can also be observed in villages or cities (parks, gardens with trees, etc.). It nests on trees and tall bushes and feeds mainly on seeds on the ground or on low herbaceous plants and bushes.

It is a fairly large species of “finch” (sparrow size) with a large and powerful beak. It presents sexual dimorphism (the two sexes are visually distinct), not as pronounced as in other species of the family, but evident and during the breeding season it is more pronounced.

The male has a distinctive bright yellowish-olive color on the body and head, with some grey markings on the head, body and tail. The female is duller in coloration, more brownish overall with some yellow markings on the wings, rump and base of the tail.