August Bird of the Month: American Goldfinch

In today's post, Nathan Martineau writes about the American Goldfinch, a bird that can be easily found at Fenner right now. Learn more about this small finch below, and come to Fenner to find it yourself!

At my feeders, the molting of the male American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) from his drab winter plumage into his brilliant summer garb is always the first sure sign of spring. You can find goldfinches almost anywhere here at Fenner, and in fact across most of this country. Its year-round range encompasses most of the USA except the southernmost tier of states, where it is a common winter resident. The winter range also extends south along Mexico’s Gulf Coast. Its breeding range includes much of southern Canada.  

Breeding Male

Adult Male in Winter

 




That said, the American Goldfinch is one of the commonest and widespread native birds in North America, just behind such birds as the Red-winged Blackbird and American Crow. This fact really becomes apparent once one learns their contact call, a whistled Po-ta-to-chip or per-chic-o-ry.  

Breeding Female

Male with Nest and Young

The American Goldfinch is an exceptionally late nester and is one of very few birds that nest into mid-August and even September.  There are two reasons for this: first, their primary nesting material, which is fluff from thistle and milkweed plants, is not normally abundant earlier in the year. Secondly, goldfinches are one of the strictest granivores (something that feeds on seeds and grain) in the bird kingdom, only accidentally eating the occasional insect. This means that they are better off to wait to nest in late summer, when nutritious seeds, such as those from thistle, burdock, pigweed and teasel, abound.