The American Goldfinch
Offer thistle seed in your birdfeeder and the American goldfinch just might stop by for a visit. Their cheerful song will add to the morning chorus around the birdfeeder. Its musical warbles and twitters are easy to distinguish from the songs of other birds such as the chickadee or bluebird.
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
Up, up, and away!
Narcissus I
Picking apart the th...
Pluckie
Oh, phooey.
Goldfinch
Happy Feather Friday...
Finch in the Grass
free meal
enjoying the birdbat...
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
Bird Feeders from Amazon
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 American Goldfinch
Dinner Date
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. South Carolina Birder
South Carolina Birder offers information on wild birds as well as an insight into birding in South Carolina.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byGone but not Forgotten
Carolina Parakeet Audubon Print Framed & Matted
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
A beautiful print of the Carolina Parakeet by John James Audubon. The Carolina Parakeet was plentiful in the 1800's but is now extinct.
Lizzy's Lenses
-
Busy Lizzy's Birds of Prey
-
Birds of Prey or Raptors are birds that usually hunt on the wing. They use their keen sense of sight to spot prey, swoop down, and capture it. They usually have large, powerful beaks and talons for tearing and piercing the flesh of their prey.
-
Busy Lizzy's Backyard Birds
-
As we go through life, some sights and events have a profound impact on our lives, while others flitter past unnoticed. Some passions can be traced back to that single pivotal point while others grow seemingly unnoticed for years. I am a morning pers...
-
Busy Lizzy's Aquatic Birds
-
Aquatic birds live on or near bodies of water. They acquire their food from the water, the shorelines, or animals within the same region. They include seabirds, such as gulls, pelicans, albatrosses, and ducks, swans and geese.
What interesting birds have you seen lately?
|
stargazer00
I saw a goldfinch approach my feeder the other day. He never did actually land on it. I hope he comes back. Beautiful! Posted May 20, 2008 |
Great Gift Ideas
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
