Differences between Pine-Siskin and Stork

Pine-Siskin and Stork are two classes of birds that belong to the Fringillidae and Ciconiidae families respectively.

Pine Siskin is a small song bird. It has a small head, jagged tail, and large body. The plumage is a darker brown on the back and paler brown on the stomach with white patches all over the body. The wings and tails have yellow patches. The bird’s bill is cone-like and pointed. The legs are short and brown with four toes for perching. Pine Siskins are noisy while foraging, flying, and mating. They make raspy and chirpy sounds. They are specially known for the long, harsh twitters they produce.

Stork is a large wading bird with long legs and long beak. Its beak and legs are usually red in color, while its eyes are grey. The color of its body could be streaks of white, black, and red depending on the geography. The bird’s head and upper neck are usually not covered with feathers. The Stork is almost mute as it has an undeveloped syrinx. The Stork family consists of about 20 species of birds such as Marabou Stork and Adjutant Stork. The family is related to Herons, Ibises, and Flamingos.

Where are Pine-Siskin and Stork found?

Pine Siskins prefer conifer and deciduous forests. However, they are also found in grasslands, meadows, woodlands, and suburban areas where there are plenty of trees. The bird is native to North America. It travels across Canada, Alaska, and northern USA for breeding and during winters.

Storks choose to live near marshes, grasslands, meadows, rivers, ponds, and lakes. They are not prevalent across the world. They exist chiefly in Asia, Africa, and Europe. One bird from their species can be found in Australia, while three others occur around Argentina and Florida.

What do Pine-Siskin and Stork eat?

Pine Siskins are omnivores although they mostly eat seeds such as spruce, thistle, and birch. They eat insects also in summers. An interesting feeding style among Pine Siskins is that they turn upside down while holding on to conifer branches to eat the cones.

Storks are carnivores that mainly eat fish. They also feed on reptiles, insects, amphibians, mice, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and even small alligators. They generally capture their prey in fields and shallow waters.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between Pine-Siskin and Stork

• Pine-Siskin do not eat Fish while Stork eat Fish.
• Pine-Siskin do not eat Frogs while Stork eat Frogs.
• Pine-Siskin do not eat Lizards while Stork eat Lizards.
• Pine-Siskin do not eat Snakes while Stork eat Snakes.
• Pine-Siskin do not eat Turtles while Stork eat Turtles.
• Pine-Siskin do not eat Squirrels while Stork eat Squirrels.
• Pine-Siskin do not eat Gophers while Stork eat Gophers.
• Pine-Siskin do not eat Baby Ducks while Stork eat Baby Ducks.
• Pine-Siskin do not eat Mice while Stork eat Mice.

Size of Pine-Siskin and Stork?

When it comes to size, Pine Siskins are 4.3-5.5 inches long. Their wingspan averages between 7.1-8.7 inches.. Storks are huge birds. They are about two to five feet tall with wide wings that measure over 10 feet. The biggest storks in the world are the Shoebill and Marabou that stand five feet tall.

Pine Siskins are tiny birds that weigh 0.42-0.63 ounces. while Average weight of Storks is 3-17 pounds depending on the species. Marabou is the largest species and weighs around 17 pounds.

Where do Pine-Siskin and Stork nest?

The nests of Pine Siskins are large and shaped like cups. They are covertly placed on horizontal branches of trees, mostly conifers. The female bird constructs the nests with pieces of barks, twigs, grass, and leaves. They are lined with moss, feathers, and plant material. Pine Siskin eggs are bluish green with brown markings. The female lays two to six of them and incubates them continuously for 13 days while being fed by her partner. The parents feed the young ones through regurgitation. The chicks will be able to fledge in two weeks.

Storks build their nests on trees and shrubs that stand in flooded water. They do so to keep predators away from eating the eggs. Both male and female birds participate in the construction of the nest, besides sharing the responsibility to incubate them for about five weeks, after which the eggs hatch. Baby Storks usually fledge 50-65 days after hatching. An interesting fact about parenting in Storks is that the parents sometimes throw some chicks out of the nests so that they can feed the healthy chicks well and support their survival.

How long do Pine-Siskin and Stork live?

The average lifespan of Pine Siskins is five to six years. The oldest known bird lived for over nine years in North Carolina.

Storks can live for over 30 years in the wild. They have been known to live up to 35 years in captivity. The longest living species was a White Stork that lived for 39 years in Switzerland.

Are Pine-Siskin or Stork migratory birds?

Pine Siskins exhibit erratic migratory behavior. Their travel depends on the condition of cone crops in their habitats. In winters, they may either migrate in large flocks to the south, east, or west of North America or stay on in their territories.

Storks migrate during winters to warmer regions as they cannot find food in colder weather. They are known to migrate long distances, for instance from Europe to Africa, sub-Saharan region to South Africa or India. They mostly migrate in huge groups.

Do Pine-Siskin and Stork fly in flocks?

Pine Siskins are sociable birds. They live communally in large groups, making loud calls and sounds. They forage in trees and shrubs along with their flock, flying together from one tree to another. The birds are also known to migrate in large flocks consisting of many thousands. Pine Siskins are social even during the breeding season. Although they are territorial, the birds turn up at each other’s nests.

A group of Storks is known as a muster of Storks or a phalanx of Storks. These birds are highly sociable. They stay together and migrate in massive flocks that can even encompass a thousand birds. However, during the breeding season they prefer smaller groups or solitude.

Are Pine-Siskin or Stork protected?

Pine Siskins are protected under the Migratory Bird Act in USA. They are also protected by law in Canada.

Storks are a protected species in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Conservation laws like the African Conservation Action Plan and the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement have come up in response to concerns of the International Union for Conservation of Nature that the Black Storks are not protected satisfactorily.

Are Pine-Siskin or Stork endangered?

Pine Siskins are not endangered, neither are they threatened. However, their population is on a downfall. The birds face threats from getting infected while flying in huge flocks, falling sick from bird feeders at people’s backyards, poisoning from pesticides, and dehydration.

Storks are extant birds. They had become extinct in the UK about 500 years back but emerged back in the 1970s. They have however become extinct in Japan, Korea, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. The Adjutant Stork is endangered in India and Cambodia, and the Painted Stork is critically endangered in parts of Asia. Very few Storks are also left in Italy due to widespread poaching.

Can Pine-Siskin and Stork fly?

The flight of Pine Siskins is marked by their swift take off. The yellow blotches on the wings are flaunted as the birds fly with their head stuck out and legs folded. Pine Siskins fly boisterously in flocks, making different patterns to save energy.

Storks fly with their neck and legs stretched out. They flap and soar with their broad wings, using thermal air currents. They can reach altitudes of 1,500 metres above sea level and touch speeds of over 110 miles per hour. During migration, they fly nearly 4,400 miles.

Can Pine-Siskin and Stork swim?

Pine Siskins are not water birds. However, they may get into water for bathing and drinking.

Storks are not swimmers. They do not prefer deep waters and usually choose shallow waters for their habitat.

Mating patterns among Pine-Siskin and Stork

Pine Siskins attain sexual maturity before they turn one. The birds move to conifer or deciduous forests for breeding. During courtship, the male encircles the female by flight. He keeps his wings and tails spread out. The male also perches on top of trees and sings to attract the attention of the female. The female coos back when she has accepted the offer to mate. The partners also sing sophisticated notes during copulation. In another courtship behavior, the male fetches food and feeds it to the female. The female Pine Siskin generally raises two broods every season, laying three to six eggs in each clutch. She incubates the eggs in insulated nests, breeding continuously with her partner feeding her for all the 13 days. The partners also co-operate in feeding the young ones and guarding the nests.

Storks start breeding when they are about four years old. The male bird is the first one to arrive at the nesting site. He initiates by building a nest or revamping an existing one and ducking on it. The male and female engage in elaborate mating dances. They raise a single brood each year, which consists of two to five eggs.

When is the mating season for Pine-Siskin and Stork ?

Pine Siskins begin courtship in January-February. The mating season could extend up to spring and summer depending on the availability of food in the vicinity. The birds not always return to the same breeding site every year.

The breeding season for Storks is generally the spring. This is usually from the start of February till the end of April.

Do Pine-Siskin and Stork mate for life?

Pine Siskins are monogamous and loyal to their partners during the nesting season. They form pairs during winters.

Storks are known to be monogamous and faithful to their partners during every breeding season and even for a few years. They may find new partners during migrations or in consecutive breeding seasons. In case of monogamous partners, they generally revisit their nesting site and use the same nests with little restoration.

How do Pine-Siskin and Stork sleep?

Pine Siskins sleep on concealed branches of conifer trees, typically 10-20 feet above the ground. They mostly roost in groups. During the breeding season, the female sleeps at the nesting site.

Storks roost in colonies. They sleep on trees and shrubs surrounded by water. Some storks even sleep standing on one leg in water.

Can Pine-Siskin and Stork be eaten?

Pine Siskins are protected by law. It is illegal to kill them for meat.

Storks are edible and some people do eat them. However, the bird is protected, and it is illegal to kill them for food.

Can you hunt Pine-Siskin or Stork?

Pine Siskins are not known to be hunted by humans. In recent times, there are laws that protect the birds from any harm or hunting.

Thousands of White Storks lose their lives every year due to illegal hunting for sport, especially in Lebanon and Italy. The birds are also shot for their meat. All this is despite existence of laws to protect the bird.

Can you feed Pine-Siskin or Stork?

It is a common practice for people to leave food for birds in the feeders at their backyards. Pine Siskins are also maintained at zoos and wildlife parks. The best feeds to offer these birds is seeds, millets, and vegetables.

Feeding wild animals and birds in public places is not permitted in places like USA, Singapore, and Dubai. Storks are huge birds and need to be fed a lot of food. In captivity, these birds are fed with fish, frogs, small birds, earthworms, lizards, and meat.