Pine Siskin

Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus )

The Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus ) is a North American finch.

Features

The 13 cm long Pine Siskin has a brownish plumage with paler underside, narrow and broad brownish yellow wing bars and yellow spots on the tail. The male is usually yellowish. The tail is forked.

Occurrence

The Pine Siskin lives in coniferous forests, parks and meadows in North America from Alaska to the Mexican mountains. The northern populations wintering in the south.

Behavior

Outside the mating season close to the birds swarming with some of several hundred animals together. As a dietary covers the seed of birch, alder and cedar trees, but also insects and buds, they are looking for on the ground or on trees. Sometimes you will see the Pine Siskin suspended upside down from spruce cones.

Reproduction

The Pine Siskin breeds in small colonies. A cup nest in a conifer from grass, roots and moss lined with thistledown, animal hair and feathers. The female holds the eggs almost continuously warm with three to four eggs and therefore hardly leaves the nest. It is supplied in this time by the male with food.