Bird Sightings : Hebrides : Siskin

Siskin (European siskin, Eurasian siskin) Female

Carduelis spinus

Photography © Frank Stark
Leurbost - Isle of Lewis - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
30th May, 2007

"A female Siskin on my peanut holder tonight when came in from work. Pretty common on the mainland but this is only the second one I have seen here in 10 years...The Siskin was still around this morning so I just had to photograph it, even though it was pouring with rain..."

Our siskin phototographs :

Siskin female	Siskin female	Siskin Male	Siskin Male	Siskin Female	Siskin Male	Siskin Male	Siskin Juveniles

 

• Eurasian siskin
• Carduelis spinus
• UK: Resident Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor, 369,000 pairs UK (Summer) BTO
• WI: Scarce breeder (1-2 pairs), passage migrant
• Breeds: Northern Europe - UK including Scotland, Russia, Asia
• Winters: South Europe, Central Asia (favours riverside alders)
• Habitat: Woodland treetops (prefers coniferous) (On passage here: Often tall & dense, seedy undergrowth )
• Small finch: Upper parts greyish-green, under parts grey-streaked white. Short & forked tail. Wings & tail have yellow patches. Male: More yellow-green body & yellower face, black cap & bib. Female & young birds greyish-green heads & no cap. Gregarious out of breeding season (mixed flocks often with redpolls)
• Diet: Seeds (prefers spruce & pine) alder, birch, (summer - insects)
• Listen to siskin RSPB site
• Similar birds greenfinch, serin (rare

 

Siskins are traditionally associated with the Caledonian Pine Forest. Although a resident breeder from Northern Scotland to Southern England, siskins are most numerous in Scotland (and Wales). In winter more birds arrive in the UK from Europe.

Siskins have done well from the massive increase in commercial plantings of conifers over the last 25 years (pine seed being their favorite food), as the amount of acreage under pine plantation has doubled, siskin numbers in the UK have gone from 40,000 pairs to 360,000 pairs.

In previous times the siskin was less fortunate, the combination of its attractiveness, song and tameness led to it being often taken as a caged songbird.

The siskin is a little finch, only 12 to13cm long. A house sparrow is quite a lot bigger at 14 -15cm.

Male siskin's have a black crown and smallish black bib. They also have heavily streaked olive-green backs. Green-yellow underneath going to almost white on the belly and underneath the tail. Yellow on the sides of the black tail and a yellow rump.

Females similar but less yellow.

Birds in flight shows yellow wing bars.

Siskins are renowed for feeding in an upside down position. They seem fond of peanuts, but will eat most seeds (particulary tree seeds) and insects. The siskin has a quite longish beak for a seed eating bird, a useful tool for extracting pine seeds.

Eating at the bird table represents a major shift in behaviour for siskins, and was only first recorded in 1961. Before then they were rarely seen in gardens. This change caught on amongst the species and helped the birds through some of the worst winters on record.

 

Frank's web site of his nature photography
www.frankstark.com

Other local bird photographs

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