The American Goldfinch

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Did you know that a flock of goldfinches is called a "charm"? There are three species of goldfinches in the US; the Lesser and Lawrence's, found in the southwest, and the American Goldfinch, which can be observed almost everywhere, except in the high Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains.  One of our best loved songbirds, the American male (all decked out in his summer plumage) is absolutely brilliant! You can't help but take note when he enters your yard with his bold lemony colored body in dramatic contrast to his black cap and wings.  In winter, his plumage resembles that of the females and first year males, with olive-yellow feathers and no black cap.  It takes two years for the male to fully develop his stunning color.  Sometimes called a wild canary, the easily-tamed goldfinch was once sold as a caged bird, valued for its beauty and song.

Goldfinches dine primarily on small seeds and grains, shown here plucking a seed from a batchelor's button plant. They also love sunflower seeds, several types of native thistles and the seeds of some trees, such as birches and alder.  Its slender, conically-shaped bill is ideal for extracting seeds while perched on a plant.  Goldfinches prefer open, weedy habitats such as orchards, old meadows and roadsides where there is an abundance of these types of foods.

Unlike most songbirds, goldfinches are not neo-tropical, meaning that they don't travel long distances to Central and South America during migration. Extreme northern birds may travel southward somewhat during winter, but most stay in their range year round. Northern Mexico is as far south as goldfinches travel.

The goldfinch is also unusual in that it doesn't mate in early spring like most songbirds.  Mating occurs in July through September when spring plants have begun to produce seeds and the soft plant fibers they gather for nest building. Look for the cup-shaped nest (constructed by the female) in the fork of a tree or bush, and if when occupied it will contain 4 to 6 light blue eggs.  The female incubates the eggs and once the babies are hatched, the male provides the nourishment. A mere 10 to 16 days after hatching, the young fledge and leave the nest.  Since they mate so late in the season, they usually only rear one brood, but occasionally they'll produce a second.

Goldfinches are particularly attracted to specially designed feeders filled with their favorite Nyjer seed (formerly known as thistle seed). They also enjoy a tasty meal of sunflower seeds offered in a tube or platform feeder. These are sociable birds that frequently flock together in large numbers, particularly in winter, and are often seen in the company of chickadees and titmice.

An important note about Nyjer and thistle seeds:  because our native thistles are a spiny, highly invasive plant, many people are reluctant to feed Nyjer to their finches for fear of it rooting and growing in their yards.  However, Nyjer seed is not from the thistle plant at all; it is cultivated primarily in Ethiopia and India as an oilseed crop.  The flower of the Nyjer plant is yellow and daisy-like and not at all invasive.  Nyjer is the only major wildbird seed imported from overseas.  Federal law requires that Nyjer seed, because it is imported, be heat treated to 250 degrees for 15 minutes to kill any insects and weed seeds that may be present. 

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• Posted at Monday, March 24, 2008 01:29 PM
• In Wild Bird Feeding Category | Permalink