Hobbies And Interests
Nest Descriptions
All finches make cup or saucer-shaped nests with sturdy outer walls and a soft, warm interior lined with downy materials. Sparrows make messy constructions of grasses or any easily obtained material and line them with feathers, string and paper. Pine siskin nests are saucer-shaped and have walls made of twigs and moss that are about 6 inches wide. The interior is 2 inches in diameter and is thickly lined with plant down, fur and hair. A goldfinch nest is so tightly woven together with roots and plant fibers that it can hold water. The female affixes the nest to tree branches with spider silk and makes a soft lining to the cup-shaped, 3-inch-diameter nest with fluffy plant material.
Nest Locations
Sparrows will often choose birdhouses, or crevices in other man-made structures as nesting sights and occasionally trees. Pine siskins build their nests 20 to 30 feet up in conifer trees and conceal them well. These gregarious birds live in colonies and visit the nests of other siskins. Goldfinches often nest in berry bushes or other low, shaded shrubs making their nests easy to spot from above.
Eggs
Sparrow eggs are usually white but can also be an olive brown color. They can have up to four or five broods of four to seven eggs in a season. Pine siskins lay four to six pale bluish or greenish white eggs that are lightly spotted with brown and black. Goldfinches lay from two to seven pale bluish white eggs with some faint brown spots around the eggs' larger ends.
Nesting
Incubation of sparrow eggs takes 12 to 14 days and is the work of the female, although a male sparrow will take an occasionally turn at keeping the eggs warm. Female pine siskins rarely leave the nest while incubating eggs. The male siskin brings seeds to the female while it nests for 13 days until the eggs are hatched. Female goldfinches also spend most of their time keeping their eggs warm with the male goldfinch feeding the female. Eggs are incubated for 12 to 14 days.