Was thrilled to see this striking finch at our backyard feeder. Unfortunately all these shots were taken through the window, but I'll take what I can get. The population of this species has declined approximately 91% since 1967. The reasons for their decline are unclear but can possibly be attributed to destruction of their native boreal forests for logging, change in climate as they just may not be moving as far south during the winter due to the trend in warmer winter temperatures. The decline may also be related to food availability. Hardwood tree seeds may be less common due to significant changes in forestry practices in Canada. This seems to be an irruptive year for these and several other northern finch species such as Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, Pine Siskin and more.