cardueline finch; siskin
Refers to small finches of the subfamily Carduelinae, especially the Eurasian siskin (Carduelis spinus). In everyday Japanese, ヒワ is the most common written form.
A siskin has come to the garden.
The siskin is a small, yellow bird.
common redpoll
muted greenish yellow
yellow-greenish light brown
European goldfinch
pine siskin
Usually written in katakana; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Kanji form; rarely used in modern Japanese.
Alternate kanji form; very rare.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 鶸 is a kokuji (Japanese-made character) combining 弱 (weak) and 鳥 (bird), possibly referring to the bird's small size.