BIRDS: PASSERINES: FINCHES

Pine Siskin, Carduelis pinus

Family Fringillidae (Finches)

Size: 5"

Season: Year-round

Habitat: Coniferous woodlands, rural gardens

The pine siskin is a small, cryptically colored finch with a short tail and a narrow, pointed bill. The male’s head and back are light brown overall, heavily streaked with darker brown. His underside is whitish and streaked in darker shades. There is a prominent yellow wing bar on the greater coverts, and yellow on the flight feather edges and at the base of the primaries. Females are marked similarly, with a darker underside and white—not yellow—wing bars. Individuals can be quite variable as to the amount of streaking and the prominence of the yellow coloring. Pine siskins forage energetically in small groups for seeds and insects, sometimes clinging upside down on twigs to reach food. The voice consists of high-pitched, erratic, raspy chips and trills. The adult male is illustrated.