The American Goldfinch
Shall I sing for you?
Description
The American Goldfinch is a small bird, just 4-5 inches in length. It has a small conical beak which is pink most of the year. The shape and size of the beak aid in the extraction of seeds from seed heads of thistles and sunflowers, the mainstay of the American Goldfinch's diet.During the mating season the male goldfinch has a bright yellow body, black wings with white stripes, a white rump, and a black cap on its head. Its beak turns a bright orange after the spring molt signaling the start of mating season. The female's coloring is a dull greenish yellow. After molting its beak matches the male's.
American Goldfinch
GFINCH
Goldfinch on the Wir...
IMG_1495
The Swinging Lantern
American Goldfinch S...
6-20-09 WA 041 Goldf...
Range and Habitat
The American Goldfinch's winter and breeding range includes the southern parts of Canada and most of the continental United States. The northern birds will migrate south, but the American Goldfinch can be seen along the coasts and in the midlands year round. Backyard Birds
Mating and Nesting Habits
The American Goldfinch breeds mid to late summer when the seeds are plentiful rather than early spring. Consequently they only raise one brood a year. As with many birds, the courtship rituals include singing and aerial maneuvers. The aerial display starts with the male in hot pursuit of the female. The female evades him by flying in a zigzag pattern through their territory. Once she's determined that the male is fit enough, they fly in circles together with the male warbling throughout the flight.The male takes up sentry duty while the female builds a cup-shaped nest in a fork of a tree or bush. The nest is made of plant fibers and bark taking close to a week to build. The female then lays a clutch of four to six eggs and incubates them for about two weeks. The hatchlings are ready to leave the nest within 10 to 14 days.
The immature American Goldfinch is a dull brown with a pale yellow underside. Their shoulders and tail are black, and the markings on their wings and rump are buff-colored rather than white. By their first spring they're sporting their true colors.
Voice
The American Goldfinch is a warbler. Its musical song includes a series of per-chik-o-ree, per-chik-o-ree, per-chik-o-ree's.Listen to the song of the American Goldfinch: Sound Byte: Goldfinch, National Park Service
Common Birds and Their Songs
by Lang Elliot
Common Birds and Their Songs (Book and Audio CD)
Amazon Price: $14.96 (as of 07/11/2009)
This book-audio package provides a unique introduction to fifty of the most familiar birds of North America and the songs they sing. The audio CD features original high-quality field recordings of each bird's songs and calls, which are track-coded for easy access. It is a 'must have' for anyone interested in birds, from beginner to expert. It's the perfect gift for any birder - or anyone with a bird feeder.
Diet
The American Goldfinch's diet consists of a wide variety of seeds. The thistle seed is the seed of choice, but it will consume the seeds of dandelions, ragweed, mullein, and sunflowers as well. Using its long legs and claws, the Goldfinch will perch on top of the plant and strip the seed-head clean. They rarely feed at birdfeeders when there are plants around to forage through, but it will readily take a handout in the winter. Add thistle seed to the mix in the winter and they're bound to come around. The Avant Garden Cottage Lantern Feeder
Avant Garden 8501-3 Cottage Lantern Bird Feeder
Amazon Price: $18.87 (as of 07/11/2009)
I love watching the birds in my backyard, and nothing attracts the birds better than a birdfeeder. The Avant Garden Cottage Lantern Feeder is an excellent choice.
One Way Mirror Feeder
Cardinal One Way Mirror Feeder, Clear
Amazon Price: $27.99 (as of 07/11/2009)
The Cardinal One Way Mirror Feeder allows you to watch the birds up close without scaring them away. It fastens to the window with two heavy-duty suction cups. It's easy to see, fill and clean. It's a must have for the avid backyard bird watcher.
The American Goldfinch
Dinner Party
Books: Birdhouses and Bird Feeders
Remarks
The backyard birder can attract the American Goldfinch by offering Nyjer thistle seed in birdfeeders, or by planting grasses or flowers that produce seed heads such as zinnias, cosmos and globe thistles. The American Goldfinch is a delight to watch and whatever efforts are needed to entice it into visiting your backyard habitat will be well worth the effort. 
Attracting Birds to Your Backyard
-
Create a Backyard Bird Sanctuary
-
Bird watching is one of the fastest growing outdoor activities in the world. It provides a relaxing and educational diversion from the stresses of life and work. It can be a meditative, solitary experience or a social activity. There are bird watchin...
-
Selecting a Birdbath
-
Bird watching is one of the fastest growing outdoor activities in the world. It provides a relaxing and educational diversion from the stresses of life and work. While some people enjoy birding excursions and trekking through the wilds in search of a...
-
Attracting Birds to Your Yard
-
Next to gardening, bird watching is one of the fastest growing hobbies around. It doesn't require a trip around the world or thousands of dollars worth of specialized equipment. All you need to do is step out your back door and wait. Its cold out ri...
America's 100 Most Wanted Birds
America's 100 Most Wanted Birds
Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)
If you want to see a gyrfalcon or a fork-tailed flycatcher, this resource might be your best help in spotting them. Mostly for serious birders intent on adding species to their life lists, America's 100 Most Wanted Birds provides detailed strategies for locating 100 of the most uncommon-to-rare bird species in the United States.
Some of my Favorite Backyard Birds
The Bold and BeautifulThe American Goldfinch
The Blue Jay
The Northern Cardinal
Cheerful Singers
The European Starling
The Northern Mockingbird
The American Robin
The Shy Ones
The Eastern Bluebird
The Carolina Wren
What interesting birds have you seen lately?
RickBasset wrote...
Great lens! We have Goldfinches on our feeder from spring to early Fall. They are voracious eaters and can empty our feeder in 1-2 days! We love their beautiful song and lively yellow colour!
Posted May 24, 2009
C-Joy wrote...
We had finches in our backyard last summer - unusual to see in our urban location! They adored our sunflowers :)
Posted April 30, 2009
TheGreenerMe wrote...
The American Goldfinch is our most frequent visitor at our feeders! They're just starting to show some bright yellow right now. The most we've counted at once of them is around 35..I think they're feeder dependent, they're there all day!
Posted April 24, 2009
naturegirl7 wrote...
We only see goldfinches mostly in their fall plumage in large flocks during the fall through early spring. Welcome to the Naturally Native Squids group. Don't forget to add your lens links to the appropriate plexos and vote for them.
Posted October 25, 2008
About the Author
Lensmaster ElizabethJeanAllen, aka Lizzy Jean, has been a member since March 16 2008, has rated 3,690 lenses, favorited 454, and has created 169 lenses from scratch. Lizzy Jean donates their royalties to Squidoo Charity Fund. This member's top-ranked page is "The Mallard Duck". See all my lenses
Why Birds Do That
Why Birds Do That: 40 Distinctive Bird Behaviors Explained & Photographed
Amazon Price: $12.44 (as of 07/11/2009)
Birds are fascinating. Their behavior is complex, often comical. Some sing while others do not. Why Birds Do That explains forty distinctive bird behaviors and is enhanced with numerous photographs. It is a must have book for both the backyard bird watcher as well as the avid birder.
Resources used to build this page.
Peterson, T.P. & Peterson, V.M. 2002. Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, N.Y.
Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology
Chipper Woods Bird Observatory
American Goldfinch, Nature Works
Seattle Audubon Society
by ElizabethJeanAllen
I tell my students to Learn from the Past, Live in the Present, and Plan for the Future. With Squidoo I can do all three.
(more) 
