Infections killing a songbird species in Monterey County
such as lesser goldfinches. Siskins are small and heavily streaked on their breasts and have yellow-accents that typically appear on the ends of their wings and also on their tail feathers. But they are most easily identified by the pronounced streaking, usually more visible than the streaking of other types of finches.
“In Monterey County, we noted a large influx of Pine Siskins early in the fall with flocks exceeding 250 birds,” said Paul Fenwick, vice president of the Monterey Audubon Society. “It was not long after their arrival that we began to receive inquiries from people who were discovering lethargic or puffedup birds around their feeding station. I personally removed my feeders and water sources in December as a proactive move to prevent an outbreak in my neighborhood, but we have received reports of up to 30 or more birds perishing in a single yard over a 24-hour period in the Fisherman Flat area (Monterey) before the feeders were removed.”
Siskins are a migratory bird with an extremely sporadic winter range, according to the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. They can over-winter from the Canadian border down into Mexico and from the Pacific shore to Cape Cod. They’ll summer in central Canada and up into Alaska. But they can also live yearround in a number of places in the west, including the Central Coast.
Siskins are not endangered. In fact, according to the Audubon Society, in the United States, there is an “irruption” taking place where flocks move southward into the U.S. during years when there is a shortage of food in their home range in Canada.
To report sick or dead birds, call the SPCA at (831) 264-5427.