Pine Siskin    Carduelis pinus

Migratory Status: Resident

PIF Population Estimate: 22 000 000

Percent of western hemisphere population breeding in boreal forest: >25%

BAM Effective Detection Radius (m) : 64.83

PIF Maximum Detection Distance (m) : 100

Canadian BBS Population trend: -2.7 (-3.8 to -1.6)

Life History

The Pine Siskin, a somewhat diminutive and indistinct finch, is perhaps best identified by its distinct and often used flight call, which consists of an ascending “zzzrrreeeeet” phrase. In most plumages, the Pine Siskin can be identified from other Carduelis finches by its overall brown, streaked appearance, long and pointed bill, and distinct yellow wing bar.

Known as an irruptive vagrant, the species wanders widely throughout the forested portions of the boreal forest and Rocky Mountain regions of North America. The breeding range extends from central Alaska, east to the Maritime Provinces, the Great Lakes region, and throughout most of the intermountain west, south to southern Mexico. In winter, the species can occur throughout the breeding range, though it is known to aggregate in large numbers during “irruptive” years. The mechanism responsible for such high seasonal and inter-annual variation remains poorly understood.

The Pine Siskin’s diet consists primarily of seeds from a variety of sources, such as trees, shrubs and grasses. On occasion, the species is also known to consume deciduous tree buds, along with a wide array of invertebrates. While a number of different food items are regularly consumed, the irruptive nature of the species appears to be correlated with the masting of cone crops in coniferous tree species in the northern portion of the breeding range. In years with low cone crops in the north, large flocks of birds often move south in search of masting trees in other portions of the range, or in areas outside of the normal range.

Reference(s)

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