This is about an observation that may lead to breeding for Pine Siskin
in Ohio.  On Saturday afternoon, 04/05/08, at Rowe Arboretum, I found a
Pine Siskin with a feather in its beak and stripping bark off of a cedar
tree.  With this collection in its beak, this bird flew off in the
direction of another cedar tree in a stand of mixed conifers at the
arboretum, followed closely by another Pine Siskin.  Both of these
behaviors, are indicative of nest building and at least attempted
breeding.  Rowe Arboretum is in Indian Hill on the east side of
Cincinnati about two miles from where I live.

 

I arrived at Rowe Arboretum between 3:00 and 3:30 pm. I went there in
hopes of finding a Pine Warbler that has been at this location in past
years.  There was not very much activity.  As I walked the path along
the main mixed conifer stand, I heard Pine Siskins calling, and then I
heard a Pine Siskin singing.  I am acquainted with the song of Pine
Siskin, because I lived in upstate New York and learned the song during
the first Atlas in New York State.  It seemed strange to hear a Pine
Siskin singing in early April in southwestern Ohio, so I spent some time
looking for the bird.  It seemed to be in a cedar tree right above me
but I couldn't find it.  A well hidden singing Pine Siskin aroused my
suspicions further, so I spent some time circling around the tree but I
couldn't find the singing bird.  When I apparently got too close to its
hidden position it stopped singing.  So, I gave up the search for awhile
and walked other paths in this small arboretum.  A little later I found
one Pine Siskin at the niger feeder and also heard other siskins calling
from other locations.  When I came back to the original location where I
first heard the singing, three Pine Siskins flew out of the mixed
conifer stand and landed in a leafless deciduous tree, probably an oak.
As I watched these birds, one of them started chasing one of the birds
very vigorously, and the chase started high in the trees and then
dropped down low to just above ground level and proceeded out of the
arboretum to the north.   Meanwhile the third Pine Siskin stayed perched
and called, before flying off in the opposite direction from where the
chase disappeared from view.  I decided to walk around a trail that
circles the east side of the arboretum to look for more Pine Siskins.

 

As I walked this path along the east side of the arboretum, suddenly, a
previously unseen Pine Siskin flew up off the ground with a feather in
its beak, landed in another cedar tree and proceeded to strip thin
strips of bark from the tree limbs.  It flew toward the area where I
heard a Pine Siskin singing and was closely followed by another Pine
Siskin that was apparently sitting nearby.  They both disappeared into
the area where I first heard a Pine Siskin singing.  I walked back to
the area of initial signing but could not find the Pine Siskins.  I left
the arboretum for a short break to return home to get some reference
books about Pine Siskin nesting and breeding.

 

When I returned at about 5:00 pm, there was additional Pine Siskin
activity.  I found two birds sitting together in a bare deciduous tree
near the parking lot.  When one flew off, the second followed closely,
and they flew toward an area not far from where I saw the bird
collecting nesting material.  I spent some time sitting and watching the
tree where I first heard the Pine Siskin singing.  Eventually, one Pine
Siskin came to this tree and sat quietly on a small upward branch,
occasionally calling.  A second Pine Siskin came to this same tree in a
nearby location, and moved about from branch to branch but I was not
able to see any evidence of a nest.  I watched these birds through
binoculars and my telescope for quite a while without any success in
finding further evidence of nesting.  But I will return.

 

According to the literature that I have available, Pine Siskins, like
crossbills can nest almost any time of the year, depending upon the food
source.  The female chooses the nest site and the male accompanies her
to the site.  So, I likely saw a female collecting nesting material, and
a male followed her to the currently undisclosed nest site.  The chase
was probably the male, bonded to the female, chasing off another suitor.

 

According to Bent's Life Histories of North American Birds, Pine Siskins
have been studied breeding in Nebraska after an unusually long and cold
winter when there is sufficient food available.  That description
reminds me of this winter in Ohio!

 

While I was quietly watching the Pine Siskins, the Pine Warbler did show
up later in the afternoon and sang softly several times.  I also saw two
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a Red-breasted Nuthatch and heard a Fox
Sparrow singing.

Jay

 

Jay G. Lehman

Cincinnati, OH

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