American Goldfinch

It's December, and as the leaves fall from the trees to reveal bare branches and migratory birds arrive, birding really begins to get interesting!  One striking bird you may encounter this winter in backyards and wild lands across the Great Central Valley is the American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis). 

Male American Goldfinch, showing some typical patchiness (the gray feathers) due to seasonal molt. 
These finches molt twice a year - once in late winter and again in late summer.

Winter goldfinches are not as brightly colored as they are in the spring and summer and their coloring can be highly variable.  But they are still recognizable by their conical bills and wingbars.  Goldfinches readily visit bird feeders, especially during the winter, and are particularly fond of sunflower and nyjer (thistle) seeds.  In wilderness areas, look for goldfinches in open, weedy fields with thistles, sunflowers and asters - favorite food sources.  They also feed on the seeds of grasses and some trees, like alder, birch and elm.


Interestingly, American Goldfinches are one of the few birds that eat an almost strictly vegetarian diet of seeds - no insects.  When parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds lay their eggs in American Goldfinch nests, the cowbird young can't survive on this seed-only diet and soon die.  American Goldfinches nest late in the summer (July-August), which likely ensures a plentiful crop of seeds to feed their young.


American Goldfinches (as well as closely-related Lesser Goldfinches (Spinus psaltria)) are common backyard birds, gathering in numbers at feeders and on the ground beneath them.  To attract them to your yard, plant native seed-bearing plants.

In California, try our native western redbud, coyote brush, California rose, buckwheat, salvia, milkweed, goldenrod and asters.  Other garden favorites that goldfinches enjoy include sunflowers, cosmos, purple coneflowers and zinnias.  Just resist the urge to deadhead your garden flowers at the end of the season, as the mature seeds in the dried seed heads are what the birds are after!  Additionally, you can supplement with bird feeders (any style) and fill them with sunflower and nyjer (thistle) seeds.  Since they also will feed on the ground beneath feeders, it's important to keep the ground raked to prevent the spread of disease.


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