I don't think it's unusual. The past several summers, I've observed
both Pine Siskins and Lesser Goldfinches regularly strip and consume
leaf blades from sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus) around our
house, often leaving just the petiole and midrib of the
leaf. According to the AOU's "Birds of North America," in addition
to consuming seeds, Pine Siskins are "also known to eat tender buds
of various deciduous trees, as well as soft stems and leaves of
forbs." (Sunflowers and their Asteraceae relatives around here are
all forbs.)
Dave Steingraeber
Fort Collins, CO
At 12:10 PM 8/24/2011, you wrote:
Hi All,
Anyone have any information on this?
Jim Beatty
----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:jbre...@durango.net>John Bregar
To: <mailto:durangobirdc...@yahoogroups.com>durangobirdc...@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 8:56 PM
Subject: [DBC] Plant-eating Siskins!
Bob Powell asked me to post this report of strange Pine Siskin behavior:
Bob lives in one of the forest communities in the Florida River
drainage NE of Durango. He puts out seeds for birds, and Pine
Siskins are one of his most common visitors. He planted some
cultivated flowers around his home, most of which have been ravaged
by rock squirrels and such, but one of the plants he purchased, an
unidentified cultivated membor of the aster (sunflower)family, has
suffered attacks from another source. Pine Siskins!
Pine Siskins are eating the leaves off this plant. Bob says they are
not eating the seedheads, nor are they eating insects on the leaves,
but they are actually slicing the leaves into pieces and eating them!
I have never heard of such bizzare behavior in Pine Siskins. Does
anyone have an explanation?
John Bregar
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