B I R D WA T CH
Pine Siskin
The little Northerner who found a home in the Sandhills
By Susan Campbell
It’s true: Some birds just do not read the field
guides. Our wintering species are supposed to head back north come spring, to set up territories and to work on producing the next generation. However, there are times when this pattern is broken. Abundant food on the wintering grounds is simply too good for individuals to pass up. This winter we had an abundance of pine siskins here. That is because siskins are an irruptive species (a lot like the red-breasted nuthatch). Nomadic individuals are known to move farther southward in winters when certain seed crops are in short supply across the northern forests. When these gregarious finches find feeders offering sunflower or thistle seed, they will take up residence by the dozens. Most people maintaining a feeding station in the Sandhills almost certainly hosted at least a few of these birds in the last several months. However, some of us still have pine siskins visiting daily. So this situation might lead us to wonder if they will become a permanent fixture, alongside the local house finches and American goldfinches. The answer is maybe — at least for the summer. Many of the remaining siskins will slowly disperse in the coming weeks. These are almost certainly juvenile birds: individuals that hatched last summer whose hormones are not quite circulating as they do in adults. One species in which this kind of retarded migratory urge is regularly observed is the cedar waxwing. In springs that are insect rich (in particular those in which there are hatches of periodic cicadas), flocks can be found gorging themselves long after most of
their brethren have departed for more northerly destinations. However, it is possible that a few pairs of pine siskins will attempt to breed here. I am unaware of any records from the past, but it has happened in other southerly locations following significant winter irruptions. Southern forests that mimic the usual northern habitat, such as our tracts of longleaf pine, certainly do have the necessary components for the birds to be successful. Such breeding attempts by other irruptive species have been documented in our area previously, the most remarkable being the red crossbill pairs that bred in the area back in the mid-1970s. But even if siskins are here through the summer, they will definitely move on by next fall. Pine siskins usually are found breeding in the open, coniferous forests of the boreal region throughout northern states of the US, southern Canada as well as higher elevations of the Rockies and western mountain regions. Although they are a non descript small bird with brown streaks, and varying amounts of yellow on the wings and tail as well as a delicate bill, they are noisy. Their wheezy calls are very distinctive. Pine siskins associate closely when breeding as well as foraging. Being semi-colonial, nests may be found in neighboring trees. Look for shallow cups made from small twigs and lined with animal fur, plant down, or moss located at the end of a branch in the mid-canopy. Definitely keep an eye (and an ear) out for these little Northerners in the weeks to come. Should you find evidence of nesting, I’d sure love to hear about it. But in the meantime, keep those seed feeders full in case a few lingering siskins happen to drop by. PS Susan would love to hear from you. Send wildlife sightings and photos to susan@ncaves.com or call (910)949-3207.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 2013
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