Scientific Name:   Spinus pinus

Length:   4.3-5.5 in (11-14 cm)

Weight:   0.4-0.6 oz (12-18 g)

Wingspan:   7.1-8.7 in (18-22 cm)

Nest:   The nest is a shallow saucer of twigs, grasses, leaves, weed stems, rootlets, bark strips, and lichens, 2.5–6 inches across. The male, who stays close, may contribute nest material as well. The female lines the inner cup with fur, feathers, grass, moss, or thistle down. Nests are only loosely attached to branches and can be vulnerable to gusty winds.

Eggs:   3-4, sometimes 2-5. Pale greenish blue, with brown and black dots often concentrated at larger end. Incubation is by female, about 13 days.

Feeding Behavior:   These birds forage in trees, shrubs and weeds. They mainly eat seeds, plant parts and some insects. In winter, they often feed in mixed flocks including American goldfinches and redpolls. Small seeds, especially thistle, red alder, birch, and spruce seeds, make up the majority of the pine siskin's diet.

Young:   After eggs hatch, female may spend most of time brooding young at first, while male brings food; later, both feed nestlings. Young leave nest about 14-15 days after hatching.

Range:   Their breeding range spreads across almost the entirety of Canada, Alaska and, to a more variable degree, across the western mountains and northern parts of the United States. As their name indicates, the species occurs mostly as a breeder in open conifer forests. Large numbers may move south in some years; hardly any in others.

Brief Description:   Adults are brown on the upperparts and pale on the underparts, with heavy streaking throughout. They have short forked tails. Their bills are conical like most finches but are more elongated and slender than those of other co-occurring finches. Variably, pine siskins have yellow patches on their wings and tails, which may also consist of white streaks on the wings.