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The American Goldfinch
The American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is a small, vibrant songbird cherished for its striking yellow plumage, cheerful song, and acrobatic feeding habits. It’s a favorite visitor at backyard feeders across North America and symbolizes summertime in much of its range.
🌟 Quick Facts
- Scientific Name: Spinus tristis
- Other Names: Wild canary, yellowbird, Eastern goldfinch
- Family: Fringillidae (true finches)
- Lifespan: 3–6 years (wild), though some live longer
- Size: 4.3–5.1 in (11–13 cm)
- Wingspan: 7.5–8.7 in (19–22 cm)
- Weight: ~0.4–0.7 oz (11–20 g)
🎨 Identification
- Breeding Male (Spring/Summer):
- Brilliant lemon-yellow body
- Jet-black forehead and wings with white markings
- Bright orange bill
- Female and Non-breeding Male:
- More subdued olive or dull yellow with dark wings
- No black cap
- Winter Plumage:
- Both sexes molt into a muted brownish-gray color
🐦 Behavior
- Flight: Undulating, bouncy flight with musical calls: “per-chick-o-ree” or “po-ta-to-chip.”
- Feeding: Acrobatic foragers that often hang upside-down to eat seeds.
- Flock Dynamics: Social birds that form flocks, especially in winter, often mixing with siskins or redpolls.
- Breeding: Late nesters — they breed in mid-to-late summer, when thistle and milkweed are abundant for nesting material and seeds.
🍽️ Diet
- Primarily seed eaters:
- Thistle (nyjer) — their favorite!
- Sunflower
- Dandelion
- Asters and goldenrod
- Rarely eat insects, which sets them apart from many other songbirds.
✅ Tip for bird feeders: Use a mesh or tube feeder with nyjer seed or black-oil sunflower seeds to attract them.
🏞️ Habitat
- Open fields, meadows, floodplains, roadsides, gardens, and backyard feeders.
- Avoid dense forests; prefer weedy, brushy areas or edge habitats.
🪺 Nesting
- Nesting Season: Late June through August (among the latest nesters in North America).
- Nest: A compact, cup-shaped nest built in shrubs or trees, often woven from plant down like thistle and milkweed.
- Eggs: 4–6 pale blue or white eggs.
- Incubation: 12–14 days (female only).
- Fledging: Chicks leave the nest around 11–17 days after hatching.
❄️ Migration
- Year-round in many areas, especially the mid-Atlantic and southern U.S.
- Northern populations migrate southward for the winter, but the goldfinch is present in most of the U.S. all year.
- In winter, they form flocks and feed in open weedy fields or at feeders.
💡 Interesting Facts
- The American Goldfinch undergoes two molts per year, one in early spring and another in late summer.
- They are strictly vegetarians, even feeding their young a plant-based diet.
- Their numbers are stable or increasing, and they adapt well to human-altered landscapes.
🎶 Song and Calls
- Males sing a long, cheerful warble during courtship and territory defense.
- Common call: “po-ta-to-chip” as they fly in a dipping pattern.
The American Goldfinch is not only a joy to watch and listen to, but it’s also an important seed disperser and a great indicator of healthy open habitats. Want to attract them to your yard? Just plant native seed-bearing flowers and keep a steady supply of nyjer seed at the ready! 🌻🐦