Hungry Scandinavian Birds Invade Great Britain

The siskin is one of the smallest members of the finch family, and normally feeds on pinecone seeds in the Scandinavian forests.

A brilliant Scandinavian finch rarely seen in Britain’s backyard gardens has been driven across the North Sea by a shortage of food in its usual habitat.

The British Trust for Ornithology says it has received a remarkable number of reports of siskin sightings in residential areas.

It has asked households across the UK to report any other sightings so the extent of the bird’s wanderings can be determined.

“We know that there are a lot of siskins around. What we don’t know is just how many birds are involved and how far across the country they have spread,” said Paul Stancliffe, one of the Garden BirdWatch team members. “We could be talking about one the largest invasions of this bird for many years.”

Siskins normally inhabit the conifer forests of Europe's far north. The breeding range extends from just below the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia and Russia southward to the mountains of Central and Eastern Europe.