American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
They are the only finches that molt their body feathers twice a year, once in late winter and again in late summer.
- Scientific name
- Spinus tristis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Fringillidae › Spinus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Weedy fields, meadows, orchards, floodplains, and suburban gardens.
- Diet
- Strictly granivorous, favoring seeds from thistles, asters, sunflowers, and grasses.
- Range
- North America, Southern Canada, United States, Northern Mexico
- Size
- Length: 11-14 cm; Wingspan: 19-22 cm; Weight: 11-20 g
- Lifespan
- 3 to 6 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, window collisions, predation by domestic cats, and avian diseases at feeders.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. Maintain a respectful distance of 5-10 feet to avoid startling. Safe to observe at backyard feeders; ensure feeders are cleaned regularly to prevent disease spread.
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.
Photo: Glenn Berry, CC0, via iNaturalist
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