Skip to Content
Abert’s Towhee Acadian Flycatcher Acorn Woodpecker Alder Flycatcher Allen’s Hummingbird Altamira Oriole American Avocet American Bittern American Black Duck American Coot American Crow American Dipper American Golden-Plover American Goldfinch American Kestrel American Oystercatcher American Pipit American Redstart American Robin American Three-toed Woodpecker American Tree Sparrows American White Pelican American Wigeon American Woodcock Anhinga Anna’s Hummingbird Arctic Tern Arizona Woodpecker Ash-Throated Flycatcher Atlantic Puffin Audubon’s Oriole Bachman’s Sparrow Baird’s Sandpiper Baird’s Sparrow Bald Eagle Baltimore Oriole Band-tailed Pigeon Bank Swallow Barn Owl Barn Swallow Barred Owl Barrow’s Goldeneye Bay-breasted Warbler Bell’s Vireo Belted Kingfisher Bendire’s Thrasher Bewick’s Wren Black Guillemot Black Oystercatcher Black Phoebe Black Rail Black Rosy-Finch Black Scoter Black Skimmer Black Swift Black Tern Black Turnstone Black Vulture Black-and-white Warbler Black-backed Woodpecker Black-bellied Plover Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Black-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Magpie Black-capped Chickadee Black-capped Vireo Black-chinned Hummingbird Black-chinned Sparrow Black-crested Titmouse Black-crowned Night-Heron Black-footed Albatross Black-headed Grosbeak Black-legged Kittiwake Black-necked Stilt Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Black-throated Sparrow Blackburnian Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Blue Grosbeak Blue Jay Blue-footed Booby Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Blue-headed Vireo Blue-throated Hummingbird Blue-winged Teal Blue-winged Warbler Boat-tailed Grackle Bobolink Bohemian Waxwing Bonaparte’s Gull Boreal Chickadee Boreal Owl Botteri’s Sparrow Brandt’s Cormorant Brant Brewer’s Blackbird Brewer’s Sparrow Bridled Titmouse Broad-billed Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Broad-winged Hawk Bronzed Cowbird Brown Booby Brown Creeper Brown Pelican Brown Thrasher Brown-capped Rosy-Finch Brown-headed Cowbird Brown-headed Nuthatch Buff-bellied Hummingbird Buff-breasted Flycatcher Buff-breasted Sandpiper Bufflehead Bullock’s Oriole Burrowing Owl Bushtit Cackling Goose Cactus Wren California Condor California Gull California Quail California Thrasher California Towhee Calliope Hummingbird Canada Goose Canada Jay (Previously Gray Jay) Canada Warbler Canvasback Canyon Towhee Canyon Wren Cape May Warbler Carolina Chickadee Carolina Wren Caspian Tern Cassin’s Auklet Cassin’s Finch Cassin’s Kingbird Cassin’s Sparrow Cassin’s Vireo Cattle Egret Cave Swallow Cedar Waxwing Cerulean Warbler Chestnut-backed Chickadee Chestnut-collared Longspur Chestnut-sided Warbler Chihuahuan Raven Chimney Swift Chipping Sparrow Chuck-will’s-widow Chukar Cinnamon Teal Clapper Rail Clark’s Grebe Clark’s Nutcracker Clay-colored Sparrow Cliff Swallow Colima Warbler Common Eider Common Gallinule Common Goldeneye Common Grackle Common Ground-Dove Common Loon Common Merganser Common Murre Common Nighthawk Common Pauraque Common Poorwill Common Raven Common Redpoll Common Tern Common Yellowthroat Connecticut Warbler Cooper’s Hawk Cordilleran Flycatcher Costa’s Hummingbird Couch’s Kingbird Crescent-chested Warbler Crested Caracara Crissal Thrasher Curve-billed Thrasher Dark-eyed Junco Dickcissel Double-crested Cormorant Dovekie Downy Woodpecker Dunlin Dusky Flycatcher Dusky Grouse Eared Grebe Eastern Bluebird Eastern Kingbird Eastern Meadowlark Eastern Phoebe Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Towhee Eastern Whip-poor-will Eastern Wood-Pewee Elegant Tern Elf Owl Emperor Goose Eurasian Collared-Dove Eurasian Tree Sparrow Eurasian Wigeon European Starling Evening Grosbeak Ferruginous Hawk Field Sparrow Fish Crow Flammulated Owl Florida Scrub-Jay Forster’s Tern Fox Sparrow Franklin’s Gull Fulvous Whistling-Duck Gadwall Gambel’s Quail Gila Woodpecker Gilded Flicker Glaucous Gull Glaucous-winged Gull Glossy Ibis Golden Eagle Golden-cheeked Warbler Golden-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Warbler Golden-fronted Woodpecker Golden-winged Warbler Grace’s Warbler Grasshopper Sparrow Gray Catbird Gray Flycatcher Gray Kingbird Gray Partridge Gray Vireo Gray-cheeked Thrush Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Great Black-backed Gull Great Blue Heron Great Cormorant Great Crested Flycatcher Great Egret Great Gray Owl Great Horned Owl Great Kiskadee Great-tailed Grackle Greater Pewee Greater Prairie-Chicken Greater Roadrunner Greater Sage-Grouse Greater Scaup Greater White-fronted Goose Greater Yellowlegs Green Heron Green Jay Green-tailed-towhee Green-winged Teal Groove-billed Ani Gull-billed Tern Gunnison Sage-Grouse Gyrfalcon Hairy Woodpecker Hammond’s Flycatcher Harlequin Duck Harris’s Hawk Harris’s Sparrow Heermann’s Gull Henslow’s Sparrow Hepatic Tanager Hermit Thrush Hermit Warbler Herring Gull Hoary Redpoll Hooded Merganser Hooded Oriole Hooded Warbler Horned Grebe Horned Lark Horned Puffin House Finch House Sparrow House Wren Hudsonian Godwit Hutton’s Vireo Inca Dove Indigo Bunting Ivory-billed Woodpecker Juniper Titmouse Kentucky Warbler Killdeer King Eider King Rail Kirtland’s Warbler Ladder-backed Woodpecker Lapland Longspur Lark Bunting Lark Sparrow Laughing Gull Lawrence’s Goldfinch Lazuli Bunting Le Conte’s Sparrow Le Conte’s Thrasher Least Bittern Least Flycatcher Least Grebe Least Sandpiper Least Tern Lesser Black-backed Gull Lesser Goldfinch Lesser Prairie-Chicken Lesser Scaup Lesser Yellowlegs Lewis’s Woodpecker Limpkin Lincoln’s Sparrow Little Blue Heron Loggerhead Shrike Long-billed Curlew Long-billed Dowitcher Long-eared Owl Long-tailed Duck Louisiana Waterthrush Lucifer Hummingbird Lucy’s Warbler MacGillivray’s Warbler Magnificent Frigatebird Magnificent Hummingbird Magnolia Warbler Mallard Mangrove Cuckoo Marbled Godwit Marsh Wren Masked Duck McCown’s Longspur Merlin Mew Gull Mexican Jay Mississippi Kite Montezuma Quail Mottled Duck Mountain Bluebird Mountain Chickadee Mountain Plover Mountain Quail Mourning Dove Mourning Warbler Mute Swan Nashville Warbler Neotropic Cormorant Northern Bobwhite Northern Cardinal Northern Flicker Northern Fulmar Northern Gannet Northern Goshawk Northern Harrier Northern Hawk Owl Northern Mockingbird Northern Parula Northern Pintail Northern Rough-winged Swallow Northern Saw-whet Owl Northern Shoveler Northern Shrike Northern Waterthrush Northwestern Crow Nuttall’s Woodpecker Oak Titmouse Olive-sided Flycatcher Orange-crowned Warbler Orchard Oriole Osprey Ovenbird Pacific Golden-Plover Pacific Loon Pacific-slope Flycatcher Painted Bunting Painted Redstart Palm Warbler Pectoral Sandpiper Pelagic Cormorant Peregrine Falcon Phainopepla Philadelphia Vireo Pied-billed Grebe Pigeon Guillemot Pileated Woodpecker Pine Grosbeak Pine Siskin Pine Warbler Pinyon Jay Piping Plover Plain Chachalaca Plumbeous Vireo Prairie Falcon Prairie Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Purple Finch Purple Gallinule Purple Martin Purple Sandpiper Pygmy Nuthatch Pyrrhuloxia Razorbill Red Crossbill Red Knot Red Phalarope Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-breasted Merganser Red-breasted Nuthatch Red-breasted Sapsucker Red-cockaded Woodpecker Red-eyed Vireo Red-faced Warbler Red-headed Woodpecker Red-naped Sapsucker Red-necked Grebe Red-necked Phalarope Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Red-throated Loon Red-winged Blackbird Reddish Egret Redhead Ring-billed Gull Ring-necked Duck Ring-necked Pheasant Rock Pigeon Rock Ptarmigan Rock Sandpiper Rose-breasted Grosbeak Roseate Spoonbill Roseate Tern Ross’s Goose Rough-legged Hawk Royal Tern Ruby-crowned Kinglet Ruby-throated Hummingbird Ruddy Duck Ruddy Turnstone Ruffed Grouse Rufous Hummingbird Rufous-capped Warbler Rufous-winged Sparrow Rusty Blackbird Sabine’s Gull Sage Sparrow Sage Thrasher Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow Sanderling Sandhill Crane Sandwich Tern Savannah Sparrow Say’s Phoebe Scaled Quail Scarlet Tanager Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Scott’s Oriole Seaside Sparrow Sedge Wren Semipalmated Plover Semipalmated Sandpiper Sharp-shinned Hawk Sharp-tailed Grouse Short-billed Dowitcher Short-eared Owl Slate-throated Redstart Smith’s Longspur Smooth-billed Ani Snail Kite Snow Bunting Snow Goose Snowy Egret Snowy Plover Solitary Sandpiper Song Sparrow Sooty Grouse Sora Spotted Owl Spotted Sandpiper Spotted Towhee Sprague’s Pipit Spruce Grouse Steller’s Jay Stilt Sandpiper Summer Tanager Surf Scoter Surfbird Swainson’s Hawk Swainson’s Thrush Swainson’s Warbler Swallow-tailed Kite Swamp Sparrow Tennessee Warbler Thick-billed Murre Townsend’s Solitaire Townsend’s Warbler Tree Swallow Tricolored Heron Tropical Kingbird Trumpeter Swan Tufted Puffin Tufted Titmouse Tundra Swan Turkey Vulture Upland Sandpiper Varied Bunting Varied Thrush Vaux’s Swift Veery Verdin Vermilion Flycatcher Vesper Sparrow Violet-green Swallow Virginia Rail Virginia’s Warbler Warbling Vireo Western Bluebird Western Grebe Western Gull Western Kingbird Western Sandpiper Western Screech-Owl Western Tanager Western Wood-Pewee Western-Meadowlark Whimbrel White Ibis White-breasted Nuthatch White-crowned Pigeon White-crowned Sparrow White-eyed Vireo White-faced Ibis White-headed Woodpecker White-rumped Sandpiper White-tailed Hawk White-tailed Kite White-tailed Ptarmigan White-throated Sparrow White-throated Swift White-tipped Dove White-winged Crossbill White-winged Dove White-winged Scoter Whooping Crane Wild Turkey Willet Williamson’s Sapsucker Willow Flycatcher Willow Ptarmigan Wilson’s Phalarope Wilson’s Plover Wilson’s Snipe Wilson’s Warbler Winter Wren Wood Duck Wood Stork Wood Thrush Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay Worm-eating Warbler Wrentit Yellow Rail Yellow Warbler Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Yellow-billed Cuckoo Yellow-billed Magpie Yellow-breasted Chat Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-headed Blackbird Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-throated Vireo Yellow-throated Warbler Zone-tailed Hawk

American Goldfinch

These birds are known for their bright yellow breeding plumage, as well as for their acrobatic feeding behavior and cheerful, bubbly songs.

American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis), also known as wild canaries, are small, brightly colored birds native to North America.

They’re renowned for their vibrant yellow and black plumage, which is more intense in males during the breeding season.

These social birds have a unique diet, feeding primarily on seeds. With their charming appearance, sweet songs, and adaptability, they’re one of the most welcomed and common sights in backyards.

 

Breeding Male

Male American Goldfinches’ appearance depends on whether it’s the breeding season or not. During the breeding season, the males have overall bright yellow plumage with contrasting black wings, a short and notched black-and-white tail, a black forehead, and delicate white markings on their wings.

American Goldfinch

Male American Goldfinch

After the breeding season has ended, the color of their plumage changes to beige, their head to yellowish beige, their cone-shaped bill from light orange to metallic dark gray, and their black wings get two big pale wingbars. They lose the black patch on their forehead.

Molting males’ plumage is a mix of their breeding and non-breeding plumage. They are a patchwork of bright yellow, beige, black, and white. Their vent area is white year-round.

 

Female

Female American Goldfinches’ plumage also depends on the season. From afar, females may appear quite similar to males, albeit duller.

However, if you look a bit closer, you can see that their upperside appears dirtier and more olive-toned, their underside bright yellow, their forehead has a dark dirty patch instead of a solid black one, and their beak is orange.

Female American Goldfinch

© Alan D. Wilson

During the non-breeding season, they’re much more inconspicuous. Their upperside is pale brownish or beige, their underside pale yellowish, and their beak becomes duller and darker as well. Similarly to males, they have a whitish vent area and black wings with white wingbars year-round.

 

Juvenile

These finches can have 1-2 broods per year with 2-7, mostly 4-6 eggs in a clutch. American Goldfinch’s eggs are pale bluish to whitish with sparse light brown spotting. Only the female incubates the eggs, which takes about 12-14 days. They leave the nest after around 11-17 days but their parents care for and feed them for another 3 to 4 weeks.

Juvenile American Goldfinches appear similar to females. They are brownish or olive-toned above and pale yellow below. Their wings are black with two buff-colored wingbars.

This small finch grows to be 4.3-5.1 inches long and weighs between 0.4-0.7 ounces.

Juvenile American Goldfinch

© Alan D. Wilson

 

Habitat

American Goldfinches prefer semi-open habitats that have bushes and trees for shelter and open weedy grounds for foraging. They are most commonly seen in weedy fields, patches of thistle, open floodplains, overgrown areas, open woods, roadsides, forest edges, and also in suburbs, backyards, and parks.

American Goldfinches nest in deciduous trees or shrubs less than 30 feet above the ground.

The female builds the cup of a nest in an upright or horizontal fork in the branches and constructs it of plant fibers and rootlets, weaves it together with spiderwebs, and lines it with plant down. When completed, it measures about 3 inches across and 2-4.5 inches high.

 

Diet

American Goldfinch’s diet consists of both plant and animal matter. These finches are mainly granivorous, which means that they mostly eat seeds.

Seeds from the plants of the composite family, such as thistle, sunflowers, and asters, are their particular favorites, although they also snack on small seeds from trees such as alder, elm, birch, and cedar.

They also eat grains, nuts, buds, bark from young twigs, maple sap, and snacks on the occasional insect during the summer.

American Goldfinches forage in flocks, usually in shrubs, trees, and weeds. You may also see them climbing on plants to reach the seeds. They also visit bird feeders, especially in the winter.

 

Behavior

American Goldfinches are active during the day. These fairly social birds can often be seen foraging in small groups. You may see them fluff their feathers or imitate the calls of other American Goldfinches.

American Goldfinch on a branch

© Alan D. Wilson

 

These finches are mostly monogamous. Parenting duties are shared rather equally. While only the female incubates, then her partner feeds her.

After the chicks have hatched, the female starts leaving the nest more often to forage and chase away intruders. The latter includes calling at predators. Otherwise, they’re non-aggressive.

The male’s role in caring for the young gradually increases to the point where in the end, he may be the primary carer.

 

Range (and seasonal changes)

American Goldfinches range throughout most of North America and parts of northern and eastern Mexico. They’re year-round residents in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and eastern United States with their breeding range extending further north to Canada as far as Quebec, southwest Newfoundland, and Saskatchewan. During the winter, they migrate southward as far as Mexico.

American Goldfinch is widespread throughout its range and listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List. They’re not threatened by human activity and their population remains stable.

 

Wing shape

American Goldfinch’s wingspan is just 7.5-8.7 inches long. Their wings are short, almost elliptical, which is perfect for bursts of fast and controlled flight. This also reflects in their distinct undulating flight pattern.

They beat their wings a few times, ascending, and then close them, descending a bit, and repeat the process.

 

Fun Facts

  • Female American Goldfinches are excellent nest builders. Their nest is so solid and tightly woven that it can even hold water.
  • American Goldfinches eat almost exclusively seeds, so when a cowbird lays its eggs in a goldfinch’s nest, then the alien nestling is almost certainly doomed since it needs more food.
  • The oldest wild American Goldfinch lived to be 10 years and 5 months old. On average, they live for 3 to 6 years due to predation and males generally live longer than females. This is also why there are more male than female goldfinches.
  • Goldfinches molt twice a year, once in the spring and once in late summer. Their second molt in late summer gives them an undercoat that helps to keep them warm during cold winter temperatures. They are even known to burrow underneath the snow to stay warm.
  • With their bright and colorful plumage, American Goldfinches have earned themselves the nickname ‘wild canary’. This beautiful and vibrant bird is the state bird of three states: New Jersey, Washington, and Iowa.

 

Call

Only male American Goldfinches sing and their song is a series of sweet warbles and twitters that last for a few seconds. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for how they sing, and they learn new songs throughout their life.

American Goldfinches have 5 different calls: alarm, threat, contact, courtship, and feeding calls. Their most common call is given in flight and sounds like tsee-tsi-tsi-tsit. Some describe it as if the bird is singing po-ta-to-chip.

If you hear that a male and a female have an almost identical call, then they’re most likely a pair.

 

Similar Species

There are three species that are quite similar to the American Goldfich, but it is easy to distinguish them upon taking a closer look.

 

Lawrence's Goldfinch

Lawrence’s Goldfinch

Lawrence’s Goldfinch

When it comes to Lawrence’s Goldfinches, they look more similar to female American Goldfinches.

Similarly to male American Goldfinches, they have a patch of black plumage on their faces, but their wings are more yellow in color than American Goldfinches’ black.

Overall, Lawrence’s Goldfinches are grayish in color and don’t have too much yellow on their plumages.

 

lesser-goldfinch - Tom Grey

Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch

Although Lesser Goldfinches look fairly similar to American Goldfinches, there are still a few key differences. Females look the most similar.

Overall, Lesser Goldfinches are quite a bit smaller than American Goldfinches, but the key differences come in plumage. American Goldfinches are primarily yellow, with some black on their wings, back, and tail.

Meanwhile, Lesser Goldfinches are more gray, and their plumage looks a bit duller compared to American Goldfinches.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Yellow Finch and a goldfinch?

You can differentiate between other yellow finches and an American Goldfinch by simply looking at their plumage. During the summer, American Goldfinches have bright yellow plumage with a black forehead and black wings with two white wingbars, and during the winter their plumage switches to brown and olive tones.

How rare is the American Goldfinch?

American Goldfinch is widespread and common throughout weedy semi-open areas of North America.

Where do American Goldfinches live?

American Goldfinches live in weedy fields, open woodlands, suburban areas, backyards, and other overgrown areas that have suitable shrubs or trees for nesting and plants to forage seeds from.

How can you tell an American Goldfinch apart from others?

During the summer, females are olive above and dull yellow below whereas male American Goldfinches are bright yellow and have contrasting black wings with white wingbars, and white patches around their tails. During the winter, both sexes are brownish with black wings and two pale wingbars.

About the Author

Heleen Roos

Heleen has loved the outdoors and nature since childhood and has always been fascinated with birds, leading her to research more about them. She has accumulated a lot of knowledge about their behaviors and habits through birdwatching tours and her own explorations. Her goal is to share the most interesting and useful facts about them.

Let others know your thoughts or ask an expert

Would you like to get new articles of birds (Once a month?)

No SPAM! We might only send you fresh updates once a month

Thank you for subscribing!

No thanks! I prefer to follow BirdZilla on Facebook