Pine Siskin

Carduelis pinus

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family FRINGILLIDAE - Subfamily Carduelinae

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

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

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.

Description

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

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

• Very pointed thin bill.
• Short, notched tail.

Sex Differences

Sexes similar, males tend to have more yellow.

Immature

Juvenile similar to adult, more buffy.

Similar Species

• Heavy streaking on body distinguishes it from goldfinches.
• Yellow in wings, heavily streaked breast, and lack of red spot on head distinguishes it from Common Redpoll.
• Juvenile Yellow-rumped Warbler is similar in overall streaky appearance, but lacks yellow in wings and has a smaller, thinner bill.

Sound

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

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from central Alaska across Canada southward to northern states in East, and through mountain states in West into central Mexico to Guatemala. Southern extent of breeding range variable from year to year.

Winter Range

May winter throughout breeding range, but generally winters from southern Canada southward. In East, winters irregularly southward to Gulf of Mexico, but rarely south of middle states.

Habitat

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

Food

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

Behavior

Foraging

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

Reproduction

Nest Type

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.

Egg Description

Pale greenish blue with brown speckles usually concentrated around large end.

Clutch Size

Usually 3-4 eggs. Range: 1-6.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless with some down.

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)

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.