Siskin is any of a group small birds in the finch family. Many siskins have sharply pointed beaks and short, forked tails.
The pine siskin of North America grows about 5 inches (13 centimeters) long. It has gray and brown coloring, with yellow markings on its wings and tail. Its diet includes seeds from the cones of evergreen trees. The bird breeds in evergreens in mountainous areas of Canada and the northeastern United States. It lays three or four pale green or bluish eggs marked with reddish-brown spots. Its nest consists of twigs, roots, plant bark, and hair. Pine siskins migrate, but not to the same place each year. They may spend the winter almost anywhere in the United States or Mexico.
The Eurasian siskin lives in conifer forests of Europe and East Asia. It grows about 4 inches (11 centimeters) long. The male has yellow-green streaked plumage, but the female is paler and grayer. Eurasian siskins feed mainly on the seeds of spruce, pine, birch, and alder trees, as well as on the seeds of such plants as dandelions. They build small, compact nests high up in trees. The nests consist of moss, lichens, and grass.
