Family Finches (Fringillidae)

Least Concern

Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)

Taxonomy

French: Tarin des pins German: Fichtenzeisig Spanish: Jilguero de los pinos

Taxonomy:

Fringilla pinus

A. Wilson

, 1810,

Bush-hill, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Has hybridized with Loxia curvirostra. Geographical variation largely clinal. Outlying southern race perplexus presumed to hybridize with S. atriceps and has been speculated to be a subspecies of the latter#R, but recent detailed morphological#R and molecular#R studies strongly suggest that the grey-plumaged, weakly streaked perplexus is distinct from both S. spinus and S. atriceps, probably meriting species status; further analyses needed. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution

S. p. pinus (A. Wilson, 1810) – Pine Siskin – CS & SE Alaska, Canada (S from S Yukon, C Manitoba and C Ontario, E to C & S Quebec and Newfoundland) and W & NE USA; non-breeding S to N & EC Mexico.

S. p. macropterus (Bonaparte, 1850) – N Baja California and NW & C Mexico (E to Veracruz).

S. p. perplexus van Rossem, 1938 – Chiapas Siskin – S Mexico (N & C Chiapas) and W Guatemala.

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Descriptive notes

11–13 cm; 11–18 g. Small to medium-sized, comparatively slender-billed, short-tailed and heavily streaked, drab-coloured finch with slightly forked tail. Male... read more

Voice

Song, usually only from start of breeding season to completion of clutch, a long rambling jumble of... read more

Habitat

Mostly open coniferous forest, especially spruce (Picea) forest, also mixed deciduous and... read more

Food and feeding

Mostly seeds of various trees and other plants, also some buds and berries; small amount of insects. Seeds include those of alder, birch (... read more

Breeding

Season late Feb to early Sept; one brood, occasionally two, and may rear second brood at site farther N than first nest. Monogamous.... read more

Movements

Resident and partial migrant; frequently irruptive. Most movements diurnal, and in irruption years... read more

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened. Common, locally common or erratically common to abundant. Breeding-survey data in parts of USA breeding range indicate some decline of more than 7%... read more

Bibliography

Public comments

Scientific classification

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Fringillidae

— Show family text —

Forms three well-defined subfamilies#R, including Euphoniinae, previously placed in Thraupidae. Also includes Drepanidini, sometimes treated as a separate family (as in HBW), but here considered merely a tribe of Carduelinae. Extensive phylogenetic data available, and comparatively few species remain wholly unscreened; nonetheless, study of internal relationships has been confounded by recurring plumage patterns and use of similar feeding niches by taxa that prove to be far from closely related.

Subfamily: Carduelinae

Tribe: Carduelini

Genus: Spinus Koch, 1816

— Show genus text —

Previously included in Carduelis; however, traditional broad version of Carduelis was shown to be polyphyletic#R #R #R, requiring recognition of further genera, including Spinus. As currently constituted, present genus comprises mainly New World species, as well as two from Eurasia. Some prefer to subdivide further and recognize two additional genera, treating North American forms under Astragalinus and Middle and South American species as Sporagra (which has priority over Pyrrhomitris), thereby limiting Spinus to the Old World representatives; species placed in Astragalinus are basal to the lineage. Even further splitting might be possible, e.g. S. dominicensis, S. pinus and S. atriceps have, under some topologies, been recovered as a monophyletic group. Nevertheless, most recent phylogeny available#R, covering the South American forms in greater detail than hitherto, found genetic differentiation among many species to be minimal, making relationships within this lineage difficult to define due to extensive haplotype-sharing among sympatric high-elevation taxa. With current knowledge, a broader version of Spinus seems best option at present.

See full taxonomic structure and notes