Pine Siskin

Pine Siskins will delight you all winter long with their aggressive and acrobatic antics in your backyard and at your feeder. This common winter bird has a bright yellow bar on each wing and at the base of the tail that will help you distinguish it from many of its finch relatives. The rest of its body is streaked brown.

The role of the Pine Siskin in the wild is often that of a gleaner, so it can be seen culling discarded sunflower shells in search of small tidbits.  It shows a marked preference for thistle and black oil sunflower seed but will also eat millet and nutmeats.

At your feeder, they will intimidate other birds with their threatening displays.  The tail is spread and the wings elevated to expose the yellow linings, then the approaching bird is confronted with a wide open bill.  Pine Siskins will even dart at approaching birds with aerial maneuvers, forcing many larger birds to give way to the audacious behavior.

The 5-inch Pine Siskin travels in large flocks, sometimes numbering in the hundreds in the period following breeding.  When foraging in flocks, the birds tend to move down from the top of the tree in a compact group, then move in a circular flight to another tree and repeat.  Some say their swarming tactics remind them of bees.  Pine Siskins are often seen in mixed flocks, especially with goldfinches and juncos.