Yesterday a handful of feisty little finches landed on one of my feeders:
From a distance Pine Siskins look like any other common feeder finch. When I first spotted this gang yesterday I assumed they were female House Finches. But they looked just a little too small, so I grabbed the binoculars for a closer look. That’s when I saw the telltale glimmer of yellow under their wings and tails.
Pine Siskins are smaller than goldfinches and have noticeably-sharp beaks. (See more photos showing the differences between the finches here). Pine Siskins prefer the seeds of pines and conifers, but flocks will visit backyard feeders for thistle and sunflower seeds.
Like my favorite backyard bird, the Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pine Siskins are an irruptive species. Instead of migrating to the same location every winter, they travel to wherever their favorite foods are most abundant for that year. That means you really never know when they’ll pop in for a visit.
I haven’t seen any Pine Siskins for almost 4 years now. It will be interesting to see if these birds were just passing through or if they will be hanging around for the winter…