American Goldfinch
Habits

The American Goldfinch goes through a significant change in plumage as the seasons change and its mating and nesting habits begin.

Feeding goldfinches well into summer will give you the best opportunity to view the males brilliant yellow color.

Choosing a Squirrel Proof Feeder or using nyjer seed will help keep your seed cost to a minimum.

Description

In summer, the male has a bright yellow body, black cap, wings and tail.

The female goldfinch is yellowish green with black wings and tail during summer, changing to a grayish brown with very little yellow and dark brown wings with white wing bars in winter.

Attracting this bird to your backyard in winter can be as easy as placing a feeder filled with nyjer seed or hulled sunflower seed.

Be sure to keep your feeder stocked well into spring so that you can see the bright yellow of the male.

Mating Habits

While there are short flutter flights high in the air between males, the most common behavior includes males chasing after the female. Several male birds may chase the female for twenty minutes or more over a large area.

Actual mating doesn't occur until late summer, generally late July through early September.

In the meantime these birds remain relatively quiet.

American Goldfinch Nesting Habits

In the western range the American Goldfinch may nest as early as May or June. Typically, in the East, these birds don't begin nesting until August.

As late summer approaches, these seed eating birds can count on a plentiful supply of thistle seed to feed their young.

The American Goldfinch prefers an open habitat with some shrubs and trees and are likely found on farms and in backyard gardens.

The nest is made of strands from weeds and vines. Downy filaments such as the thistle disperses and caterpillar webbing are used to weave the cup shaped nest. The nest can be so tightly woven as to hold water.

Once the nest is built, both male and female

Super Spiral Finch Tube Feeder (Highly Recommended)

goldfinches leave the area. This may give the appearance that they have abandoned the nest. In a few days they both return and the female begins laying eggs.

In some cases this can be two weeks after nest completion.

The nest is located 4 to 20 feet above ground in a shrub or tree. The female lays from 3 to 7 light blue eggs which are incubated for 12 to 14 days.

The female may spend ninety five percent of her time incubating the eggs. The male will feed her during this time allowing her to stay on the nest.

The young birds leave the nest in about 11 to 15 days after hatching.

The female goldfinch builds the nest by herself. A second nest may be built by her while the male continues to feed the first broods fledglings. 2 broods may be raised each season.

Feeding Habits

Specially designed Thistle Feeders are required, as nyjer seed is tiny.

When feeding their young, the parents fill their crops with seeds and maybe small aphids or caterpillars and regurgitate them part by part to the young birds.

This method allows them to feed each of the young birds each time they visit the nest.

In winter, the American Goldfinch form flocks and feed together with little aggression towards each other.

Lifespan

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