Presentations
Lawrence’s Goldfinch (Spinus lawrencei; Lawrence’s) and Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus; siskin) have many unknown biological and ecological aspects, including longevity, survivorship, site fidelity, nesting site selection, migration routes, and preferred overwintering areas. To address the lack of data on Lawrence’s and siskin, a targeted mark-recapture study began in 2023 at an urban residence in San Diego County (County) that has attracted record numbers of these species for over thirteen years. Over 200 Lawrence’s and twelve siskins have been banded at the urban residence, and in late spring/early summer 2025, one juvenile Lawrence’s, two juvenile siskins, and two adult siskins (one resighting) were observed there. The one siskin resighting marks an unprecedented observation on the County’s coastal slope at this elevation and raises additional questions about origin and site fidelity. There are no site fidelity records for Lawrence’s at any time of the year anywhere in their range, except at this property, which now holds several U.S. banding records for Lawrence’s. Continued banding and recorded observations at this location are critical to better understand both species’ biology, longevity, survivorship, breeding, migration routes, and overwintering areas, and may also help understand the impacts of climate change on nomadic bird species.
