Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus)

Isolated breeding populations of Pine Siskins are found in the higher NC mountains. Elsewhere in NC, siskins are irruptive winter visitors, usually to thistle feeders.

Pine Siskins (Carduelis pinus)
Flat River Impoundment, Durham Co., NC
21 Jan 2015

	Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) Durham Co., NC 22 Jan 2007
	Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) Durham Co., NC 22 Jan 2007 Closely related to goldfinches (2 birds on left), Pine Siskins (2 birds on right) are finely streaked and have yellow in the tail.

	Pine Siskins (Carduelis pinus) with a single American Goldfinch in the middle and a Carolina Chickadee below left. Durham Co., NC 20 Jan 2009 Note the yellow wing flash in the lower left bird. These birds are on a black oil sunflower feeder.
	Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) Durham Co., NC 20 Jan 2009 These siskins are feeding on nyger thistle seed. Note the snow in the backgrouind.

Good comparison of commoner NC finches. Upper left is an American Goldfinch. Upper right is a female House Finch. Lower four birds are all Pine Siskins.

Durham Co., NC
26 Dec 2010

Pine Siskins (Carduelis pinus)
Durham Co., NC
26 Jan 2013

Siskins seem just as happy foraging for sunflower seeds on the ground as they do for "thistle" on the feeders!

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Created on ... Jan 31, 2007 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com