The Red Siskin is an Endangered species owing to its popularity as a cage bird. The Red Siskin is a vibrantly colored finch that was once plentiful in Venezuela and so recognizable that their image is printed on Venezuelan banknotes, written into poetry, and appears in works of art. Native to the northern regions of Venezuela and Columbia, the Red Siskin inhabits dry deciduous woodland in the lowlands and foothills, as well as scrub or grasslands with scattered trees, and the edges of evergreen forests. Siskins are mostly granivorous, foraging on the seeds of various grasses, forbs, and trees, but they will also consume fruit and berries. Although legally protected, the cage bird trade continues to impact this species. Throughout the 20^th century the birds were trapped and exported as part of the illegal wildlife trade, and were highly prized for their coloring and were bred with canaries. Their numbers dwindled almost to the point of extinction. Now Endangered, fewer than 7,000 Red Siskins remain in the wild in small, isolated populations.