Pine Siskin

Carduelis pinus

Introduction

The Pine Siskin is the most common of the irruptive “winter finches” with numbers varying from year to year. It is most commonly seen in flocks. It breeds as far north as central Alaska and northern Canada and south to northern Baja California. It’s non-breeding range is southern western Canada and much of the lower 48 US states.

Identification

Adult Male (spring/summer)

Head is finely streaked brown with brown semicircle on auriculars, thin sharply pointed gray/black beak. Breast and flanks buff with brown streaks. Belly white and undertail coverts white with brown streaks. Undertail yellow with black tips. Back, rump and uppertail coverts streaked brown and uppertail brown with yellow outer feathers. Wings brown with bright yellow on folded flight feathers. Two wing bars. In flight there is yellow wing stripe.

Adult Female (spring/summer)

Similar to adult male but yellow is dull.

Juvenile

Similar to adults but more buffy.

General Information

General:

Small finch with strongly notched tail and slender bill. Length: 11-14cm. Wing: 18-22cm. Weight: 12-18grams.

Behaviour:

Pine Siskins are active, gregarious and almost always in flocks, sometimes with goldfinches. They are frequently found at feeders, and in open forests feeding on buds and seeds of birches, alders, pines and other trees. They will also feed on small insects.
They can be seen in large flocks flying in unison to and from tree tops.

Habitat:

Prefers coniferous and mixed coniferous forests, second growth alders, aspens and broadleaf trees with open canopies, usually on the forest edges. They are opportunistic and adaptable in their search for seeds.

Information:

Siskins, Redpolls, and Goldfinches are closely related group of seed specialist. All have short, conical beaks, short, slightly forked tails, bright wing markings and “nervous” behaviour. They breed in flocks, which after breeding may contain hundreds of birds. They are all acrobats, often hanging upside down, like titmice and chickadees, plucking seeds from hanging seedpods and catkins. The nest is a shallow saucer of twigs, grasses, leaves and weed stems. Clutch is 3-5 pale greenish-blue with brown or reddish spotted eggs.

Similar species:

American Goldfinch, House Finch, Common Redpoll, Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Conservation Status:

Listed as Least Concern. However the irruptive nature of the Pine Siskin makes assessing population trends difficult. American Breeding Bird Survey estimates decline of 75% between 1966 and 2010. Described as a bird in steep decline.

Maps & Statistics

Capture Rates:

Pine Siskin capture rates peak in fall and winter, especially in January, when foraging flocks are on the move and using the open areas of Colony Farm. Generally preferring to breed in coniferous or mixed forests, capture rates during the rest of the year drop off as individuals concentrate on nesting, preferring to forage on coniferous trees in their breeding territories.

Ageing and Sexing (Band Size: 0, 0A)

Molt Summary:

PF: HY partial; PB: complete; PA limited
Preformative molt includes some to all med covs , 0 – 10 inner gr covs, sometimes 1 – 3 terts, and occasionally 1 – 2 central rects (r1; rarely up to 4 rects)
Look for occasional birds to replace pp (often just p5 – p6 or p5 – p8) in an eccentric pattern.
PA probably limited to feathers on throat and crown.

Juvenile

april - SEPTEMBER

Juveniles have a buffy or yellowish wash to the upperparts and breast (some birds are likely sexed by the amount of yellow in the flight feathers).

HY/SY

september - august

This HY in October is showing a molt limit within the greater coverts, the retained 5 outer GCs brown with pale buffy tips contrasting with the fresher, glossier, buff tipped replaced inner GCs (red arrow). Notice also the limited extent of the yellow wing patch at the base of the primaries and secondaries and compare this to the extensive yellow wing patch of the adult birds below. Finally, notice the narrow and tapered outer primary coverts.

The tail of this HY in October shows very tapered rectrices with sharp points to the tips and no yellow to the base of these feathers. Contrast this photo with the adult (AHY/ASY) photos below showing broad, truncate rectrices with substantial yellow to the base of the feathers.

This SY in January is also showing a molt limit within the greater coverts, the retained 6 outer GCs contrasting with the fresher, glossy replaced inner GCs (red arrow). Notice again the limited extent of the yellow wing patch at the base of the primaries and secondaries and compare this to the extensive yellow wing patch of the adult birds below. Finally, notice the narrow and tapered outer primary coverts.

This SY in May has replaced lesser and median coverts (red arrow) and a single inner greater covert (GC9). Notice the contrast between the brown and more lightly pigmented retained outer greater coverts and the glossy black replaced median coverts. Notice again the narrow and tapered outer primary coverts and limited extent of the yellow wing patch at the base of the primaries and secondaries.

The innermost GC 10 (red arrow) is also a retained juvenal covert. When songbirds replace less than all of their GCs in a partial preformative molt, GC 10 often is a skipped feather. It is always worth looking closely at this feather in partial preformative molts.

This SY of unknown sex in April has also only replaced lesser and median coverts. Notice again the contrast between the brown and more lightly pigmented retained greater coverts and the glossy black replaced median coverts. Also, notice again the narrow and tapered outer primary coverts and limited extent of the yellow wing patch at the base of the primaries and secondaries.

The outer rectrices of the same SY bird immediately above again shows very tapered rectrices with sharp points to the tips and with limited yellow to the base of these feathers. The extent and brightness of yellow to the bases of the pp and rects averages larger in AHY/ASY and males than in HY/SY and females although this should be used with caution in determining sex as substantial overlap occurs.

Any finally, an SY bird of unknown sex in April clearly showing replaced median and inner greater coverts (red arrows).

This second year (SY) bird in April is showing replaced median coverts and the two innermost tertial (S8 visible & S9).

The rectrices of the bird above showing tapered outer feathers on the right side and replaced feathers on the left side. Only central rectrices are sometimes replaced in the preformative molt.

AHY/ASY

september - august

This AHY in October is showing uniformly adult wing coverts, tertials and middle secondaries, the greater coverts with buff tips. Notice the extent of the yellow wing patch at the base of the primaries and secondaries and compare to the first year birds above.

The wing of this after second year (ASY) bird in May is showing no discernible molt limits and an extensive yellow wing patches which is likely sex related being brighter and more extensively yellow in males than females although care should be taken in assigning sex categories to birds based purely on the extent of yellow in the flight feathers as much overlap occurs. Notice the very glossy outer greater coverts, primary coverts and alula with no contrast between these feather groups.

Note: Primary coverts of adult birds can appear relatively tapered and do not always have the distinct yellow edging of some birds.

The 3 tail photos below again show the characteristics of adult rectrices with very broad truncate outer retrices with a corner to the inner web and extensive yellow which is also likely sex related being brighter and more extensively yellow in males than females although again, care should be taken in assigning sex categories to birds based purely on the extent of yellow in the flight feathers as much overlap occurs.