[mou] Siskin nests in southern Minnesota

[Chad Heins]

Hey birders!

One of my students, Anna Seidl, and I have been watching Pine Siskins on the campus of Bethany Lutheran College for the last three weeks or so.  We have been seeing as many as four birds at one time at the birdfeeding station and assumed that we had two pairs.  About three weeks ago we successfully followed a bird and located the beginning of a cup in one of the spruces on campus.  A bird is now incubating on that nest.  An additional nest was found by Anna last week about 50 yards from the other one; a bird is incubating a clutch on that nest as well.

This is an interesting observation, but certainly not a unique one.  We have had siskins around the Bethany campus into May for at least four of the last 8 years.  I located the beginning of a cup back in 2001 but the nest was abandoned.  Two years ago I saw an adult feeding a pair of fledglings in late April.

Are there any other breeding records for this species in southern Minnesota?

Patiently waiting for SPRING migrants,

Chad Heins
Mankato, MN






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