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American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
Size: 5" (13 cm)
Male: Canary-yellow finch with a black forehead and tail. Black wings with white wing bars. White rump. No markings on the chest. Winter male is similar to the female.
Female: dull olive-yellow plumage with brown wings; lacks a black forehead
Juvenile: same as female
Nest: cup; female builds; 1 brood per year
Eggs: 4-6; pale blue without markings
Incubation: 10-12 days; female incubates
Fledging: 11-17 days; female and male feed the young
Migration: partial migrator to non-migrator; small flocks of up to 20 birds move around to find food
Food: seeds, insects; will come to seed feeders
Compare: The Pine Siskin (p. 97) has a streaked chest and belly, with yellow wing bars. Female House Finch (p. 99) and female Purple Finch (p. 115) both have heavily streaked chests. Male Yellow Warbler (p. 313) is all yellow with orange streaks on chest.
Stan’s Notes: A common year-round backyard resident. Most often found in open fields, scrubby areas and woodlands. Enjoys Nyjer seed in feeders. Lines its nest with the silky down from wild thistle. Almost always in small flocks. Twitters while it flies. Flight is roller coaster-like. Often called Wild Canary due to the male’s canary-colored plumage. Male sings a pleasant, high-pitched song. Moves only far enough south to find food.
