THE SISKIN’S UNUSUAL FEEDING BEHAVIOUR

The Siskin is one of only a handful of species that exhibit a behaviour known as ‘allofeeding’. Within the winter feeding flocks, a hierarchical structure forms, leading to dominant males and dominant females. Subordinate members of the flock provide food for the more dominant members by regurgitating the seeds that they have already ground up and presenting it to the more dominant birds. It is believed that this helps form strong bonds within the flock, which, in turn, should make the unit as a whole more efficient in finding food sources, as well as being more alert when it comes to spotting potential predators. This behaviour is very unusual in the bird world, so keep an eye out for it when watching these colourful finches.