Spinus pinus
The Pine Siskin (*Spinus pinus*) is a small, streaky finch, measuring 11-14 cm in length, with a wingspan of 20-23 cm, and weighing 12-18 grams. Its short, conical, and sharply pointed bill is an adaptation for its seed-eating diet. Primarily dull yellowish-olive, it is heavily streaked with brown on its back, flanks, and belly, providing excellent camouflage in coniferous environments. Distinctive field marks include the fine, dark streaking contrasting with pale underparts, prominent bright...
Inhabits coniferous and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, showing a preference for spruce, pine, fir, and hemlock stands. Also found in open woodlands, forest edges, and frequently visits suburban feeders, particularly during winter irruptions.
Primarily granivorous, specializing in tiny seeds from conifer cones such as spruce, pine, hemlock, and fir. They also consume seeds from birches, alders, thistles, dandelions, and occasionally supplement their diet with insects and tree buds.
Pine Siskins are highly social and diurnal, typically active foragers throughout the day, often seen hanging upside down like chickadees to extract seeds from cones. They exhibit little territorial behavior outside of a small nesting perimeter, preferring to feed and travel in large, dynamic floc...
The Pine Siskin has a vast breeding range extending across the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, south through the western mountainous regions of the United States, including the Rockies, Cascades, and Sierra Nevada, and sporadically in the northeastern US and Appalachian Mountains. Its winter...
Least Concern
- Pine Siskins are famous for their "irruptive" migration, where entire populations undertake unpredictable, massive movements across continents in search of abundant conifer seed crops. - They possess a unique crossed-tip bill adapted to pry open cones and extract tiny seeds, a specialization th...