I also had tons of Pine siskins visit my WNY birdfeeders this winter. 2-3 times, mixed in with the P.siskins were 1 or 2 Common Redpolls. I also had White-winged Crossbills in my brushy area pinetrees, eating pinecone seeds, the first time that has ever happened since I have been birdwatching. Both siskins and redpolls are irruptive species for WNY. This year, the pinecone seed crop in SE Canada was poor, so the siskins and redpolls and crossbills moved further south into the USA, in search of better food sources. They will go back up north to breed. A few straggler Pine siskins are still here, but most have already left WNY Gail R (WNY)

I'm in the deep south and pine siskins showed up here this winter for the very first time. In all my years of bird feeding, I've never had them. WBU reports that everyone in the area is innundated with them. I was hoping they'd leave when the weather turned warm, but they are still here draining the feeders. Normally, I have dozens and dozens of goldfinches, but they are not around as much anymore. I guess the competition is too much for them. Wish I knew how to get rid of the siskins and still feed the finches.

I have lots too and this is the first time I have ever had any. I have over 20 at a time! I had a really bad time with one this morning. One had flew on a shepard's hook that I have and when I tried to help it, I noticed that one of it's legs was barely hanging and it looked like it was bleeding through the stomach. It stayed alive but barely. I tried my best to help but I knew there was nothing anyone could do at this point. It was in pure pain and misery and I'm not really sure what even happened to it. I shot it and killed it because it was suffering so bad. It was sad.

Yup, Pine Siskin. There is a great deal of variation in this species regarding the amount of yellow present in the plumage. BN