Pine siskins descend on backyard feeders

This past Tuesday’s storm, while causing a delay in flight plans to New Jersey for me, again provided abundant material on which to write. Observing the birds drawn to the feeders provided a welcome diversion from the reason for my trip – assisting my family in caring for my father, who has Alzheimer’s disease.

The storm brought the birds out of the woodwork, as the saying goes. I don’t know where they all came from; there must have been at least 200 in all, if not more. The most numerous were pine siskins, followed by goldfinches, chickadees, nuthatches, downy and hairy woodpeckers, several common redpolls, a few juncos, some American tree sparrows, and two purple finches.

The pine siskins were overwhelming. Although we’ve had small groups of them visiting the feeders for months now, this was nothing compared to the mob that descended on our yard that day. I made four trips outside to top off the feeders, so that every port was full and also to scatter large amounts of seed on the ground.

The harshness of the storm – the ice, snow, and strong winds – must have stressed them. Normally reported to be somewhat “tame,” I thought the conditions made them even more tolerant of human presence. Only a few birds flushed from the feeders when I opened the door to go out. And, more amazingly, they remained almost underfoot as I walked among them, filling feeders and scattering seed. I feared one wrong step would result in my squashing one.

Pine siskins are very interesting little birds. They are known as a winter “irruptive” species; instead of exhibiting true migratory behavior, they tend to wander widely in search of areas with good seed production. Normally, their breeding range is northern Canada up into Alaska, but even here they aren’t always faithful to a specific area. If they find a reliable winter food source, they will remain near it long enough to breed – even if it is far south of their normal range.

In this, according to the “Birds of North America” species account, they are helped by silvicultural practices and the proliferation of backyard bird feeding stations. However, the latter also can lead to their downfall: Aggregations of pine siskins at artificial food sources are particularly susceptible to salmonellosis. Because of this, it is important that you clean and disinfect your feeders regularly – which I definitely will be doing! It is always a good idea to do so anyway.

Another fascinating aspect of the siskins’ biology is that they appear to be exceptionally cold-hardy. According the BNA, their metabolic rates enable them to withstand severe cold, “indicating robust powers of cold resistance for so small a bird.” They are even able to incubate eggs during cold weather; this is made possible by the female, who constructs a tight, well-insulated nest, and by the male, who feeds his mate continuously as she broods her eggs.

Siskins aren’t very distinctively marked, but once you know what to look for, it is easy to identify them. They are small finches with very thin, pointy bills. Their chests, stomach, and flanks are heavily marked with fine brown streaks. Their wings have two buff-colored bands, and are also edged in yellow, with an additional gold patch at the base of the flight feathers. Their dark tails are also thinly edged in gold. These golden accents become especially conspicuous when a male performs a courtship display. As quoted by the BNA, they produce “a spectacular effect on sunny days as spread wings and tail turn brilliant gold.”

No matter what the weather, I always enjoy watching these gilt-edged dynamos.

NEWS bird columnist Chris Corio can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net