The Pine Siskin is a nomadic, irruptive species that breeds and winters across Canada's forests. Results from both the Breeding Bird Survey, which provides good coverage in the southern portion of the range, and the Christmas Bird Count, which monitors the winter population, illustrate the large population fluctuations experienced by this species. Considering both data sources, the Pine Siskin is thought to have shown a moderate decrease in abundance since the early 1970s, though the reliability of this assessment is considered low and it is unclear if this result reflects the entire Canadian population. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
As a nomadic and opportunistic species that follows the abundance of important food seed species, population densities can vary greatly from year to year and region to region (Dawson 2014). Although there are currently no urgent conservation concerns for this species, cutting of coniferous and mixed forests can have detrimental effects (Dawson 2014).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.