PINE SISKIN 425 



the intervening area. The flocks are compact, and all members 

 execute long undulating sweeps in unison. Usually the birds fly si- 

 lently, but now and again one or many may utter a sharp lisping 

 call-note that carries well. 



The decision to alight seems to come abruptly, and the flock drops 

 down into the trees to rest or feed. It is common for the birds to 

 be more vocal on alighting, and again as they depart. Often when 

 feeding, there are no birds in flight; at other times part of the flock 

 may take wing and pass over those still feeding to other food trees. 

 As the birds thus go "leapfrogging," the entire mass of the flock of 

 busy, lisping birds appears to flow through the forest. Then all of a 

 sudden the lisping ceases and the flock is silent; it takes flight with a 

 very audible whkring of wings and fhes rapidly away. 



By observing alders in Strawberry Canyon at Berkeley, Calif., in 

 February, T. L. Rodgers (1937) provides a description of siskin 

 habits that applies generally: 



It began to appear as if the regular procedure of the birds was to alight in the 

 top of a tree, forage down to the lower limbs, never spreading over an area more 

 than 12 or 15 feet across, and then by means of a circular flight move to the top 

 of another tree and forage down it. Although this was the commonest method, 

 they were also seen to forage in a nearly horizontal line through a group of trees 

 without foraging through any of them completely; they foraged up through a 

 tree, and then moved by a direct route, at times even "flowing" from one tree 

 to the next after the manner of a flock of Bush-tits. The direct flights of the 

 flocks were either to trees far away or to those ten or fifteen feet off. This seems 

 to bear out the idea that "circle flights" are survey flights. 



The siskin's gait seems much better adapted to climbing about 

 tree tops than to ground feeding. On the ground it walks with very 

 short steps interspersed with occasional little hops, and its body 

 almost seems to cling to the ground. 



Many authors have commented on the siskin's tameness and 

 boldness in its relations with human beings. Brooding females 

 usually can be approached within inches before they leave the nest. 

 Exceptional, however, was the experience of F. H. Allen (1888) at 

 Newton, Mass., in late April. He observed two siskins near a heap 

 of hops by the roadside. One flew away on his approach; the other, 

 though able-bodied and in good condition, allowed itself to be ap- 

 proached closely, stroked, and caught in the hand. Allen queried: 

 "Was this bkd affected by the hops * * *?" E. R. Davis (1926) 

 reported siskins at Leominster, Mass., to be remarkably tame in 

 late fall. He says: 



In a short time the birds came to regard me as their friend, and in the days 

 that followed grew to be exceedingly sociable and to lose every vestige of fear. 

 Whenever I would appear at the window, or step outside the door, down they 

 would come and, settling upon my head, shoulders, and arms, would peer anxiously 



