Carduelis tristis,
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American Goldfinch, common name for a small songbird found year-round throughout the United States and Canada, and during the winter in northern Mexico.
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A member of the finch family, the American goldfinch is one of the most abundant birds in the United States, common to parks, farms, and suburban gardens.
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It is the state bird of Iowa, New Jersey, and Washington.
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Males and females, which are both about 13 cm (about 5 in) long, have very different plumage patterns.
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In the spring the male has bright yellow plumage with a black cap, while the female has grayish-yellow plumage without a black cap.
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During the winter both sexes assume a brownish plumage. With its broad, strong beak, the American goldfinch is able to eat a variety of hard seeds.
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It feeds primarily on thistles and weeds, but will eat insects when available.
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The male goldfinch waits until it has its bright spring plumage before courting the female with song while he flies in front of her.
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The American goldfinch nests later than most other birds to take advantage of abundant ripe thistle seeds to feed its young.
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During the late summer, the female builds a small nest in a shrub or tree and lays four to six bluish-white eggs.
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The male feeds the female during the two weeks that she incubates, or warms, the eggs, and both parents feed the young.
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The young leave the nest about two weeks after hatching and spend the fall following their parents as they feed in flocks with other goldfinches.
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Scientific classification:
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The American goldfinch is a member of the finch family, Fringillidae, in the order Passeriformes, and is classified as Carduelis tristis.
