Preparing wild thistle seeds for consumption is more complicated and delicate than one might think.
Two days ago in the mountains this Pine Siskin gave me an intimate look at the delicate work involved in preparing thistle seeds for swallowing. I chose to include this photo because it shows thistle flowers (Musk Thistle?) in three different stages of development and the siskin is standing on the flower that was mature enough to provide the ripe seeds ‘he’ was extracting from the flower head, preparing for consumption and then swallowing.
When he first extracted the seeds they were still attached to their thistle down (pappus) whose function is to disperse the seed via wind. Neither the thistle down nor the hull of the seed provides any significant food value so all he’s after is the nutritious seed kernel inside the hull. That means that two things must be accomplished before he can swallow the kernel:
- the thistle down must be removed from the seed and discarded
- the kernel must be extracted from inside the hull and the hull discarded
I thought this photo was perfect for documenting the processes involved in a single photo. Here he’s broken off the thistle down from one seed and the tip of that seed’s interior kernel can be seen inside the hull. He’ll discard both the thistle down and the hull before swallowing the kernel. The second seed in front of the first one has already had both processes accomplished so he’s about ready to swallow that kernel (at least I believe it’s a kernel but it’s possible it’s a piece of a hull.).
Think about it. The only tools he has available to him for this delicate seed manipulation are his tongue and rigid beak – no hands allowed and he doesn’t use his feet. And he’s working on two seeds at the same time with each one being in different stages of the process.
I don’t know about you but I’m impressed.
Ron
Note: The scientific name of the Pine Siskin is Spinus pinus. You can’t tell me that at least some scientists and/or early naturalists don’t have a sense of humor, slightly warped though it may be. Lyle Anderson, I’m thinking you’ll enjoy that one.
That last photo intrigued me so I went out to a patch of thistles (Cirsium arvense) and picked apart a seed head. It appears that the seed must be at just the right stage of development, as is shown in your photo, before it desiccates and shrinks to a fraction of what you show. Also, I had to dissect several seeds before I found anything inside which I think indicates that not all the seeds are viable. So, I wonder if the Pine Siskin knows when the seeds have been fertilized as well as ripe for maximum nutrition. Removing the seed from the pappas took a slight bit of tugging (two hands); doing that with a beak is impressive.
Our Siskin is apparently Spinus pinus pinus. My references say that Spinus is greek for siskin and siskin is from the Danish or Swedish for “chirper”. Apparently, it used to be in the genus Caduelis, which means thistle eater; a much more descriptive name, as your photo illustrates.
The thistle patch had several kinds of bees and other pollinators all over it. It’s not native, but I figure pollinators can use all the help they can get,
Sorry for the long post.
“I wonder if the Pine Siskin knows when the seeds have been fertilized as well as ripe for maximum nutrition”
I think they do, Lyle. They do a lot of inspecting and rejecting.
Thanks for the better info on the origin of the scientific name.
Pine Siskins (and other birds) do know is a seed is viable. This may be by weight and a very light seed is rejected as not being worth the energy needed to open it.
Taxonomists have usually considered the Pine Siskin to be in the Genus Spinus. Alexander Wilson originally named it to the Genus Fringilla. By early in the 1900s it was moved to the Genus Spinus where it remained for many decades. Several years ago it was moved to the Genus Cardeulis, but this only lasted a few years until it was moved back to Spinus. It is similar to the Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus. Our goldfinches also carry this Genus name.
It’s amazing to see how the siskin accomplishes the task. Reminds me of seeing a heron catch two small fishes at once and manipulate each into position for swallowing. Then we see a puffin with a whole beak-full going on to catch even more.
I agree, Kenneth.
Delightful photo, informative commentary – thanks!
Thank you, Sam.
That is one talented tongue (and beak)! Reminds me of some of the baseball players I worked with who could chew bubble gum and eat sunflower seeds (and spit out the hulls) at the same time.
If these birds had been discovered in a monastery, would they be called Spinus pinus aquinas? 😉 (Sorry, the Pinchas the Tailor joke got me on a roll…)
Marty, I’m pretty good at shelling sunflower seeds in my mouth but chewing gum thrown into the equation would certainly… gum up the works.
I’d never heard that tailor joke before. Growing up in small town Montana limited parts of my “education”.
I am always amazed to watch birds manipulate things with their beak and tongue. Having parrots, I have watched them open locks on cage doors adeptly as if with fingers.
Agreed April, parrots in particular are amazing in that way.
Beautiful demonstration of just how remarkably versatile a bird’s.beak can be. Not only is it remarkable in what it does, I’m also impressed by how quickly this action is accomplished. And it’s not just Pine Siskins. Many other birds do amazing things with their beaks. Watch a Black-headed Grosbeak very quickly and delicately remove the hull and discard it from a sunflower seed. I’m also reminded of puffins who can hold several fish dangling along the sides of their beaks and still catch more without losing the existing catch. Birds really are amazing in many ways.
Thank you, Dan. “Remarkably versatile” along with other words like efficient and quick are certainly accurate descriptors of bird beaks.
Ron – great post today. The second photo along with your explanation of extracting the seed is pure excellence. 🙂
Much appreciated, Kathleen.
Ron,
Always an education! Great shots. Love the recent rain in SLC. I am having trouble getting out and seeing any birds. I need to get to the mountains, I guess.
Per K+E comment, it amazes me that the hummingbirds at my feeders and flowers can get enough nourishment while hovering with their wings going as fast as they do. It seems to me that they would expend more energy than they are receiving by doing so. And then they fly away to who-knows-where!
Nature!
Stephen
And it started raining again a little while ago, Stephen. This time a gentle rain instead of the fierce storm we had last night. Hope it continues all day long.
Spinus Pinus????? Lol thanks for that chuckle
Glad I’m not the only one… 🙂
we had pine siskins show up yesterday at our feeders. I will put out the thistle seed for them and the goldfinches. Guess ours are spoiled.
“Guess ours are spoiled”
Probably, Connie – especially because your thistle seeds are most likely already hulled.
Yes, I encourage you to replace it with fresh seed. The “thistle” you buy for birds in not a thistle at all. It is a small and beautiful sunflower, native to Ethiopia. Unfortunately, it has small seeds that reminds people of thistle and got the name. The trade name is Nyjer, now being used to prevent people from thinking they might be spreading thistle. It is a small seed and will dry out over time. We don’t want to eat something old and stale and neither do the birds so do keep it fresh. The small seed with such large surface area means it can easily get moldy if it becomes damp so be sure to keep it in a dry place. Siskins and goldfinches love it when fresh.
Love these. Especially the close portrait of both bird and seed.
Thank you, Sallie.
I am indeed impressed. Both by the bird’s skills and by these photos, especially the closeup process shot. Wow! The magic of closeup photos. So fascinating. We’re lucky you like to share your efforts.
When you think about it it’s hard not to be impressed isn’t it, Pat.
Yes, impressed and a bit humbling too I think.
Neat! I’ve only seen them at the feeder where the seed has already been “prepared” for them. For sure the down wouldn’t be of interest – appears he might lose the hull with the seed in it tho I’m sure he’s got that handled….. 🙂
“Maybe” rain today and a flash flood warning out – I’ll believe it when I see it… 😉
Judy, we got another half inch of rain at my house last night but many areas in the valley got much more – up to 2.5″. These monsoons have been pretty impressive when they actually come this far north.
That 2nd photo is both beautiful and educational. Even before reading the caption I was thinking how remarkable it is what birds can do without hands. I have watched a GBH take over 30 minutes to lift, position, and finally swallow a catfish. With a pair of hands it would be a one minute job at most.
I’m laughing – the spinus pinus reminds me of a joke years ago about a Marcus Pincus.
Everett, apparently “spinus pinus” literally means spine pine. I get the pine part with this species but I’m baffled by the spine…
I just watched a clip of what is probably the joke you mentioned. Pretty funny.
Even without knowing its meaning, the second photograph is beautiful
in and of itself…….and then to know its meaning is wonderful ; stands
to reason why one almost never sees fat animals of any kind in the wild-
they have to work assiduously just to stay nourished “enough”…….
Yup, “out there” survival is nearly always a lot of work. Thanks, Kris.
A perfect photo “enlarged” with documented explanation! Thanks
Thank you, Donald.