How to Identify aAmerican Goldfinch
Spinus tristis · 4.3–5.1 in (11–13 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Breeding male is canary-yellow with a black forehead, black-and-white wings, and white undertail.
Female
Duller olive-yellow year-round, without the black cap; browner wings with buffy wing bars.
Male photo: Rodney Campbell / Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0 · Female photo: Darren Swim / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Field marks
- Small conical pink-orange bill
- Black wings with white or buff wing bars
- Undulating, roller-coaster flight
- Bright yellow body in breeding males
Similar species
What it sounds like
A bright "po-ta-to-chip" given in time with its bounding flight, plus a long canary-like twitter.
Behaviour that gives it away
Nests later than almost any North American bird, waiting until midsummer when thistle down is available to line the nest.
Habitat & range
Weedy fields, open woods, and backyards with thistle and nyjer feeders across North America.
When you'll see it
Present all year in North America.
What it eats
Almost strictly seeds — thistle, sunflower, and nyjer; one of the most vegetarian songbirds.
Did you know?
Goldfinches nest late (mid-summer), timing their broods to the peak of thistle and milkweed seed.
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