Birds: American Goldfinch

(text from:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Goldfinch.html)


A familiar and abundant small colorful bird, the American Goldfinch is frequently found in weedy fields and visiting feeders. It shows a particular fondness for thistles, eating the seeds and using the down to line its nest.
Description

• Small bird.
  
• Bill small, pointed, conical, and pink.
  
• Body bright yellow to dull brown.
  
• Wings dark with large white wingbars.
  
• Tail short and notched.
  
• Breeding male bright yellow with black cap and wings.
  

• Size: 11-13 cm (4-5 in)
  
• Wingspan: 19-22 cm (7-9 in)
  
• Weight: 11-20 g (0.39-0.71 ounces)
  

Sex Differences


Summer male is bright yellow with a black cap whereas female is drab olive. Sexes similar and drab in winter.
Sound


Song a long series of twittering and warbling notes. Common contact call a "tsee-tsi-tsi-tsit," often given in flight. May be described as "per-chic-o-ree" or "po-ta-to-chip."
»listen to songs of this species


Conservation Status


Abundant and widespread. Populations appear stable.
Other Names


Chardonneret jaune (French)
Dominiquito viajero, Dominiquito triste (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The American Goldfinch changes from winter plumage to breeding plumage by a complete molt of its body feathers. It is the only member of its family to have this second molt in the spring; all the other species have just one molt each year in the fall.
  
• The American Goldfinch is one of the latest nesting birds. It usually does not start until late June or early July, when most other songbirds are finishing with breeding. The late timing may be related to the availability of suitable nesting materials and seeds for feeding young.
  
• The American Goldfinch is gregarious throughout the year. In winter it is found almost exclusively in flocks. In the breeding season it feeds in small groups. Whether it maintains breeding territories is debatable.
  
• The American Goldfinch is mostly monogamous, but a number of females switch mates after producing a first brood. The first male takes care of the fledglings while the female goes off to start another brood with a different male.
  

The gold finches in my yard, here in Tulsa, look a lot more like that second pic I posted than the first. The first pic, he looks almost like a canary, he is so bright.

The ones I see are more muted, like the second pic, yellowish features, with blackish and grey striping.

Wow, that male Goldfinch is brilliantly beautiful.

Dave, do the male birds (all different kinds) have the brighter colors?

Yeah, normally the male of the species is the more brilliant. But there are exceptions with certain species.

Is there a reason for such a color difference in each species of bird?

I think the most colorful males get to mate. Why I don't know. But the ones with the brighter stuff, get the chick. The brighter colors may mean that the genes are stonger and more dominate, and maybe the females dig that.

Oh wait, read the question wrong. From bird to bird species, i don't know either. My guess would be so they can tell each other apart.

And it's like fish, the brighter the colors, the more they blend in with the surroundings. Sounds silly, but the most colorful bird, the painted bunting, which I havn't seen yet, is supposed to be very hard to see, as it blends in with the brush better than a pure brownish bird.

Hmmmmm, interesting. Thanks Dave...

I wouldn't mind getting some finches. But they're so expensive at pet stores I think I saw some for like $23 - $26 a bird. I wouldn't mind maybe four or five of them though.

How much is the birdcage and other stuff?

I don't know. I was afraid to look.

Just had a very very WOW moment. In bird nerdom, I hit the holy grail.

Well, the Gold Finch's I seen the last couple of years, look like the second pic up top. Muted yellow, neat looking, but mostly just the head is yellow and not too bright.

Just a moment ago, two males landed on the feeder, and they were just like the pics up top, the first one. Bright bright yellow most of the body, with a black cap on top.

I called Sandy out and she did manage to see one of them. The other flew off.

It was like seeing bigfoot or nessie. I couldn't believe how bright and yellow they were. Crazy!!!

I took the work camera back, so I couln't get a pic dammit. I need to get a camera with a lens and bigger zoom on it.

Oh wow... that would have been really nice to have seen them, Dave.

Neat thing is you look for stuff for years, don't see it, then out of the blue, BAM, there it is. Makes it fun.


I'm still waiting to see a summer tanager. And a Northren Oriole up close. Seen one flying.

The absolute holy grail is the painted bunting.

That's what I was just about to ask you... what one bird do you want to see the most. I guess it's the Painted Bunting, eh?

I so want to be in an old folks home with Whidden someday. Kris too, we all could read books, look at birds, yeah we would be a fun group of old timers.

Oh man.... the three of us would be a hoot.

Sher, you and me can share a room... and Dave can be down the hall.

He can room with Ron. Oh and Sandy June can room with us too. We can go and make sure their hearing aids are turned up when we yell at them to take out the trash. We can to our old people aerobics to Safety Dance.

Sssss
AAAaa
FFFF
EEe eh my back!!!!!
TTt trouble straightening up
Yy why did I try to do it?

Dance

Oh yeah... that will DEFINITELY be me with the back!!!

Aye, never seen one. Never met anyone who has, but they are in this area.

I saw a goose flying over my front yard the other day. I know it was a goose because it was honking the whole way. And it was too big to have been much of anything else. I wish they'd land in my front yard. Of course, it would be funny if they ever started landing in our swimming pool