PINE SISKIN 431 



The female chooses the nest site and is accompanied by the male as 

 she brings nesting material. At times the birds return to social life 

 in flocks; also, other siskins occasionally accompany the nesters on 

 flights to the nest tree. As C. W. Bowles (1903) puts it, several 

 pairs may be "superintending" when one is building. The small 

 nesting territory is used for copulating — although this occurs else- 

 where, too — and nesting; in addition, the male feeds his mate there 

 during incubation and the period untU the young attain flight. The 

 defense of territory is developed slowly, being weak until after the 

 nest is built. Weaver and West (1943) write: 



During nest building the male had been quite attentive to the female and never 

 left the nesting area for very long periods, and he did not seem to be very closely 

 associated with any of the other siskins or flocks which fed near the nest tree. 

 After the eggs were laid, he would leave the area for short periods, which became 

 longer as incubation progressed. He frequently returned in company with one of 

 several other siskins. The female would chase these birds, as would the male, if 

 they came too close to the nest. On several occasions, he flew off with these birds 

 after feeding her on the nest. Other birds would enter the general nesting area 

 and feed with one or both of the mated birds, unmolested. 



As is common with a number of early nesters, the structure that 

 the siskin builds is rather large in proportion to the size of the builder 

 and usually well concealed in foliage. It is fairly well put together, 

 generally somewhat flat, and often not very securely fastened to the 

 branch. The foundation and sides consist of such materials as twigs, 

 rootlets, and grass; the lining consists of fine rootlets, hair, fur, feathers, 

 and other fine-textured material. The finer material, at least, is 

 often gathered on the ground. Dales and Bennett (1929) saw a siskin 

 dismantling an old goldfinch nest and using the materials in new 

 construction. 



Numerous photographs and descriptions of nests have been pub- 

 lished. A good example of the latter is C. H. MorreU's (1899) of one 

 found in March in Nova Scotia: 



It was saddled on the limb and radiating twigs but not attached to them. 

 Considering the size of the bird, it is quite large, rather flat, and bears no resem- 

 blance to * * * [Goldfinch nests], measuring as follows: height, 1.63 inches; 

 depth, .75; outside top diameter, 4 inches; inside top diameter, 2 inches. It is 

 constructed mainly of dark pendulous tree-moss, with some fulvous bark from 

 weed-stalks, plant-down, usnea, and other mosses. About the bottom of the nest 

 is [sic] woven a few spruce twigs. The lining is entirely the pendulous moss. 



From Eureka, Calif., R. R. Talmadge (MS.) writes of two nests 

 that he considered distinct from all others he had found. The first 

 was composed of fine grayish rootlets with a minimum of plant fiber 

 and lined with black horsehair. The other was similar, but was 

 lined with red hair from cattle that were in the immediate area. 



