Pine Siskin, Spinus pinus


Pine Siskin
Pine Siskins look like House or Purple Finches, but are more closely related to the goldfinches, their cousins in the genus Spinus, a kinship seen in the yellow linings of their flight feathers. They nest in the mountains, and some years winter at higher altitudes as well, as with the bird above, photographed in November in the Santa Cruz Mountain foothills. Other winters, depending on food sources, they winter further down in the lowlands, including at our feeders in Silicon Valley, see bottom.


Pine Siskin
The bird above was nesting in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. Below, another Arizona mountain nester, photographed in Madera Canyon.


Pine Siskin


Pine Siskins
This Sierra pair in nesting season looks to be discussing "your place or my place?"

Pine Siskin
This Pine Siskin spent the winter in our neighborhood on the Stanford campus, in a year when food
supplies were not as good at higher altitudes.