424 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 part i 



Distribution 



Range. — Scandinavia, U.S.S.R., and Alaska to Manchuria and 

 Japan. 



Breeding range. — Breeds from northern Scandinavia and northern 

 Russia across northern Siberia, western and northern Alaska (St. 

 Lawrence Island, Barrow, Collinson Point), and northern Yukon 

 (Herschel Island) south in eastern Siberia to Kamchatka; in general 

 farther north than A. j. flammea, though in imfavorable seasons 

 supposed to colonize within the northern limits of that form. 



Winter range. — Winters from the southern parts of its range casually 

 south to central Europe and central Asia; recorded in Manchuria, 

 Japan (Hokkaido, Honshiu) central Alaska (Tanana), and the 

 Pribilofs. 



Casual records. — Casual in southwestern Alaska (Kodiak Island 

 in summer), Montana (Miles City), Minnesota (Ottertail County), 

 Iowa (Iowa City), Wisconsin (Lake Koshkonong), Keewatin (South- 

 ampton Island), Ontario (Moose Factory, Toronto), Quebec (Quebec 

 City), Massachusetts, Maine (North Brighton, Gorham), New Bruns- 

 wick (Grand Manan), Newfomidland (Locke's Cove), and Great 

 Britain. 



SPINUS PINUS (Wilson) 



Pine Siskin* 



PLATE 23 



Contributed by Ralph S. Palmer 



Habits 



The pine siskin is a social bird the year round. Breeding indi- 

 viduals join in social flocks away from the nesting territory, and they 

 sometimes feed in the tree where the nest is situated. These social 

 groups are small, up to a half dozen birds, not the large flocks com- 

 monly seen outside the breeding season. From late summer to late 

 winter the pine siskin associates, roughly in descending order of 

 frequency, with the redpolls, the goldfinches, the two crossbills, the 

 purple finch, the cedar waxwing, and very occasionally, the juncos. 

 Except for the first two mentioned, the association usuall}'' is brief 

 and may break off whenever a mixed flock takes flight. A common 

 situation is to find the few siskins in the flocks of the other species, 

 especially when goldfinches or redpoUs are plentiful and the siskins 

 few. 



The siskin is a relatively high and swift fher, often crossing from 

 ridge to ridge or peak to peak in du-ect flight far above the trees in 



*The following subspecies are discussed in this section: Spinus pinus pinus 

 (Wilson) and S. p. macropterus (Bonaparte). 



