Pine Siskin

Pine Siskin, "male" (very yellow)

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Pine Siskin, "female" (less yellow)

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

The most common of the irruptive "winter finches," the Pine Siskin often remains on the wintering grounds long enough to breed.

Description

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

• Size: 11-14 cm (4-6 in)
• Wingspan: 18-22 cm (7-9 in)
• Weight: 12-18 g (0.42-0.64 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar, males tend to have more yellow.

Sound

Calls are raspy chittering. Most characteristic call is a harsh, grating, upwardly inflected "zreeeeeeet."

Conservation Status

Irruptive nature makes assessing population trends difficult. May be declining in some areas.

Other Names

Chardonneret des pins, Tarin des pins (French)
Piñonero rayado, Dominiquito piñero (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Pine Siskin is the commonest of the irruptive "winter finches." For an example of a siskin irruption, based on BirdSource Winter Finch Survey data, click here.

• 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 addition, 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.

Sources used to construct this page:

Dawson, W. R. 1997. Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus). In The Birds of North America, No. 280 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.