Siskins, Goldfinches visit area in wintertime By Jay V. Huner Fall brings migrant finches to the Piney Woods from northern climes. Birders watch their feeders closely to see if any unexpected birds show up, especially in unusual numbers. By mid-November, birders were reporting numerous Pine Siskins accompanying the expected American Goldfinches at their feeders. I had read reports on LABIRD, the Louisiana bird listserv, about not only early Pine Siskins but flocks of 50 or more birds. Normally, a few Pine Siskins are found here and there, most often in late winter. But, several days after these small birds were reported as far south as Louisiana's marshes, over 60 showed up at our feeders on the shores of Cotile Lake in northwestern Rapides Parish in central Louisiana. We had never seen this many Pine Siskins in over decade of birding. A bit over 4 inches in length, these handsome little birds with brown streaked coloration, darker above than below, stand out from the other winter feeder birds in our region. Males have distinct yellow patches on their wings and tails. Some yellow can be found by close observation of females. The Pine Siskins remain around our home as spring approaches in March but not in the numbers that arrived in late November. They should still be around into April with their song, a harsh, grating inflected zreeeeet, being easier to detect than the birds as trees and bushes leaf out. In fact, the name "siskin" is said to be derived from the species sound or chirp. The real common name, according to some specialists, should be pine chirper! Birders refer to invasions of birds like Pine Siskins as irruptions. That is, they irrupt farther south from their normal wintering ranges because their normal food supply is limited. During the 2007-2008 winter season, Red-breasted Nuthatches were the unexpected, irruptive species in our southern piney woods. Pine Siskins are seed eaters as evidenced by their conical-shaped bills. Many think that birds like siskins and other finches can be more easily attracted to feeders by putting out thistle feeders. In fact, finches are very happy, indeed to feed on sunflower seeds, especially black-oil sunflower seeds. Many songbirds assemble in flocks in the winter but become solitary when nesting. Pine Siskins are a bit different in that they often nest in dispersed flocks. Our common winter finch is the American Goldfinch. Birders often hear these diminutive birds up in sweet gum trees before actually seeing them. Common calls are described as" si tsi tsit" and "per chick o ree". Many foresters tend to look down on sweet gum trees but birders know that gum balls with their tiny seeds are very important food resources for finches in the fall and into the winter. Many birds are attracted to sweet gums to feed on many insects, especially caterpillars, that feed on the tree foliage. It is hard to understand the name "goldfinch" when watching wintering American Goldfinches. They are pretty dull birds, a reason why they are pretty difficult to see in the tops of gum trees while foliage, even dead leaves, is present. Males are a good bit more colorful than females in the winter but the yellow (gold) colors are muted. But, beginning in mid-April, American Goldfinches molt their old feathers and brighten up considerably. Males have bright yellow heads and bodies with black crowns, black wings, and black tails. Females, although decidedly duller in color, are much brighter than they are in the winter. Goldfinches gather in large numbers around seed feeders in cold weather, especially during inclement weather. But, when various cold tolerant bushes and trees begin to bloom in February, goldfinches seemingly abandon the feeders only to return in good numbers in late March and early April. They haven't left the area. They are simply feeding on so-called natural foods that become very abundant. A very few goldfinches nest in Louisiana but very few nesting goldfinches have ever been documented. Hey, what about the finch-like birds with red breasts at my feeder? The common one is the House Finch, present year round. The darker, redder one is the Purple Finch that visits our region only in the winters and generally in low numbers. But, our reddish finches will be a topic for another report Jay V. Huner, Louisiana Ecrevisse, 428 Hickory Hill Drive, Boyce, Louisiana 71409 USA.318 793-5529 / piku@classicnet.net |