Pine siskin bird

Flocks of tiny Pine Siskins may monopolize your thistle feeder one winter and be absent the next. This nomadic finch ranges widely and erratically across the continent each winter in response to seed crops. Better suited to clinging to branch tips than to hopping along the ground, these brown-streaked acrobats flash yellow wing markings as they flutter while feeding or as they explode into flight. Flocks are gregarious, and you may hear their insistent wheezy twitters before you see them.

Five years ago, when we first published this resource page about Pine Siskins and how to identify them, we were marveling over their rare visit to our area. Now, in 2020, it's happening again. But this time, we’re witnessing what’s possibly the biggest Pine Sisken irruption in recorded history. But, wait... There's more. It’s not

A bird true to its name, the Pine Warbler is common in many eastern pine forests and is rarely seen away from pines. These yellowish warblers are hard to spot as they move along high branches to prod clumps of needles with their sturdy bills. If you don’t see them, listen for their steady, musical trill, which sounds very like a Chipping Sparrow or Dark-eyed Junco, which are also common piney-woods sounds through much of the year.

Pine Siskins (Spinus pinus) two fighting in midair, winter, New York, USA

The pine siskin (Carduelis pinus) measures between 4½ and 5½ inches long. It is the smallest of the winter finches. It does not have a fixed migration pattern or permanent nesting territory, so it is considered to be the gypsy of the birding world. One distinguishing characteristic of the pine siskin is the yellow visible on the wings and base of the tail. The measurements for the pattern and painting notes were taken from three pine siskins provided by a friend who lives about an hour north…

Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) North America, Canada

Pine Siskin