Pine Siskin
Pine Siskin has surged: up 384% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Pine Siskin
The Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) is a North American member of the Finches (Fringillidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–6.5 in long (11–16 cm) — a small songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 1,057 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 33 states, most concentrated in the Northern Rockies.
- Family
- Fringillidae · Forest birds
Notable Pine Siskin Trends
Pine Siskin has surged in surveyed states: up 384% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Pine Siskin Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Pine Siskin is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 1.4 (95% range 0.62–2.1). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±57.3%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.3 | 0.58 | 2.1 |
| 2026 | 1.3 | 0.59 | 2.1 |
| 2027 | 1.4 | 0.60 | 2.1 |
| 2028 | 1.4 | 0.61 | 2.1 |
| 2029 | 1.4 | 0.62 | 2.1 |
Where the Pine Siskin Is Detected
BBS routes recording Pine Siskin, sized by most recent count.
Pine Siskin Population Trend by State
| Alaska | -85% | 1974 | 75 |
| Arizona | +95% | 1970 | 21 |
| California | -42% | 1970 | 120 |
| Colorado | +10% | 1970 | 94 |
| Connecticut | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Idaho | +164% | 1971 | 53 |
| Iowa | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Maine | -53% | 1968 | 56 |
| Maryland | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Massachusetts | insufficient data | n/a | 7 |
| Michigan | -85% | 1971 | 38 |
| Minnesota | -23% | 1970 | 34 |
| Montana | -18% | 1970 | 66 |
| Nebraska | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Nevada | +242% | 1998 | 4 |
| New Hampshire | -76% | 1969 | 17 |
| New Mexico | -34% | 1970 | 27 |
| New York | -91% | 1973 | 39 |
| North Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| North Dakota | +118% | 1973 | 20 |
| Ohio | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Oregon | -66% | 1970 | 96 |
| Pennsylvania | insufficient data | n/a | 7 |
| Rhode Island | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| South Dakota | -90% | 1969 | 14 |
| Tennessee | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Utah | +36% | 1971 | 54 |
| Vermont | -69% | 1980 | 16 |
| Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Washington | -37% | 1970 | 81 |
| West Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Wisconsin | -80% | 1969 | 43 |
| Wyoming | +23% | 1970 | 58 |
Pine Siskin Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | -11% | 1987 | 3 |
| BCR 4 | -91% | 1978 | 41 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -50% | 1970 | 142 |
| Great Basin | -25% | 1970 | 111 |
| Northern Rockies | -26% | 1970 | 169 |
| Prairie Potholes | +147% | 1973 | 29 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | -55% | 1969 | 90 |
| Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain | -56% | 1978 | 16 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | -90% | 1968 | 103 |
| Sierra Nevada | -82% | 1973 | 37 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +75% | 1970 | 159 |
| Badlands and Prairies | -60% | 1969 | 38 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -85% | 1981 | 7 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | -27% | 1970 | 19 |
| Appalachian Mountains | -76% | 1981 | 27 |
| Coastal California | -40% | 1970 | 32 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -8% | 1970 | 18 |
Pine Siskin Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 384% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.