American Goldfinch

The American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada–United States border to Mexico during the winter.

The American goldfinch, the only finch in its subfamily to go through a full molt, exhibits sexual dichromatism: the male is a bright yellow color in the summer and an olive color in the winter, while the female is a dull yellow-brown shade that only marginally brightens throughout the summer. During the breeding season, the male exhibits vividly colored plumage to entice a mate. With a conical beak to remove the seeds and quick feet to grab the stems of seedheads while feeding, the American goldfinch is a granivore designed for eating seedheads. Because it is a gregarious bird, it will congregate in sizable flocks while foraging and traveling. During nest construction, it may exhibit aggressive behavior, however, this behavior is transient.