LOOK UP: Look closer at those birds on your feeder. You might
see some new “LBJs.”

“LBJs” are birder-speak for Little Brown Jobs – small,
semi-brown songbirds one sees briefly at the feeder but can’t be
identified because their markings aren’t noticeable enough. It
usually refers to sparrows and finches.

Right now there’s a new LBJ in state, and it has nothing to do
with our 36th president, or his wife, Lady Bird.

Pennsylvania Game Commission tells us the latest LBJ to surface
in Pennsylvania and states further south is the pine siskin.

The birds have a house finch-like appearance and are related to
American goldfinches, two common visitors to backyard feeders
year-round in the Commonwealth. In fact, at first glance, only a
trained eye is probably going to catch pine siskins at his or her
feeder.

But siskins are smaller than house finches, have smaller bills
than goldfinches, and have distinguishing yellow wing-bars and a
flash of yellow under their wings.

Doug Gross, Game Commission endangered bird specialist, say
these visitors can be found just about everywhere this winter, but
you’ll have to look closely to identify them. They often feed with
American goldfinches, landing first in birches and conifers in
search of seeds. They also gravitate toward the commotion at
backyard feeders when they near these activity centers.

Pine siskins are not the only boreal drifters that have been
living off Pennsylvania this winter. White-winged crossbills also
are about. Although these irruptive species come south only when
food supplies are low in their normal northern range, each species
has its own preferences and tendencies to migrate.

The birds are attracted to birdfeeders with black-oil sunflower
or thistle seeds. But they also can be commonly seen along roads
and driveways, where they consume considerable amounts of grit or
salt, or when they pick through cone-bearing conifers and birches
for seeds.

Siskins are more at home in the northern forests of Canada, but
occasionally unfavorable winter conditions make it a matter of life
or death for them to move where food is more readily available.
When they head south, they don’t just go on autopilot and put down
in Pennsylvania. Usually, they only go until they find food. Many
apparently liked what Pennsylvania offers.