Pine Siskin Photos

Several Pine Siskins continue to visit the feeder on the edge of our back deck. Mornings are the busiest hours of the day. At times there are Siskins at each opening on the feeder and several waiting on the deck rail or the top of the feeder or the branches overhead. From time to time, one of the waiting Siskins will decide it’s time for a change. It flies to the feeder and causes a great commotion of fluttering wings all around, and when they settle, the new one usually has a place.


My favorite part of watching the Siskins is listening to their calls. Around the feeder, there’s a constant chirp-chirp-chirping. When they’re up in the pines, several of them gathered to preen, or maybe foraging there, too, they use their buzzy-ringing zhreeeeeee calls, usually with a long, rising inflection – but I’ve also heard a slightly shorter zhreeee as a downward slurring call.

At times – usually during the late morning or afternoon – one Pine Siskin (not always the same one) will try to monopolize the feeder, fending off all others, lunging with spread wings and open bill at any others that approach.


Often during the day, one or two American Goldfinches manage to work their way in for a while. But most of the time, the Siskins seem to dominate, and we do not have large numbers of Goldfinches. Two Dark-eyed Juncos often feed on seeds scattered below the feeder.

Thanks, Clate, for these photos!

One Response to “Pine Siskin Photos”

  1. Nancy Ortiz says:

    Great pictures. No pine siskins on this side of my town because oaks, mainly old live oaks, predominate. It’s really helpful to see pictures of the little brown bird tribe before catching sight of one. Thanks, ya’ll.

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