Gig Harbor, Washington

Bird of the Month

Pine Siskin

Pine Siskins are small, streaked, yellow-tinged finches. Their bills are slimmer than those of most finches. Males often have yellow wing-stripes and tails, although the yellow is highly variable. Like other finches, they have notched tails. Their wings are relatively long. The most common of the irruptive "winter finches," the Pine Siskin often remains on the wintering grounds long enough to breed.

Adult DescriptionPine Siskin

  • Small finch.
  • Brown and heavily streaked, paler underneath.
  • Two buff wingbars, yellow in wing at base of flight feathers.

Immature Description

  • Juvenile similar to adult, more buffy.

Cool Facts

  • The Pine Siskin is gregarious even in the breeding season. It nests in loose colonies, and pairs may visit one another's nests. The nest is defended against other siskins primarily during egg laying and incubation. Breeding birds flock together to forage.
  • Following a large irruptive winter flight, some individuals may stay near a dependable food source and breed far south of the normal breeding range. The heavily insulated nest helps keep the eggs warm in cold climates. In addtion, the female incubates the eggs constantly, and is absent from the nest only for brief periods. Her mate feeds her while she sits on the nest.

Habitat

  • Breeds in open coniferous forests. Also in parks, cemeteries, and in mixed coniferous-deciduous tree associations.
  • Prefers conifers in migration and winter.

Pine SiskinFood

Small seeds; also tree buds, insects, and spiders.

Nesting

  • Nest a shallow saucer of twigs, grasses, leaves, weed stems, rootlets, bark strips, and lichens, lined with fur, feathers, grass, moss, or thistle down. Placed near end of horizontal tree branch. Usually well concealed.

Behavior

Forages in flocks, usually high in tree canopy. Hangs upside down on tips of conifers. Fond of thistle seed at feeders.

 

Credits

Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds.