Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 3.9–4.7 in
10–12 cm - Wingspan
- 8.3 in
21 cm - Weight
- 0.3–0.5 oz
9–14 g
Other Names
- Chardonneret gris (French)
- Dominiquito de Lawrence, Jilguero gris (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Lawrence's Goldfinch seems to have no loyalty to its breeding areas, being present in large number in a locality one year and absent the next. Its nomadic movements are probably related to availability of water and seed crops.
- Unlike most migratory birds, Lawrence's Goldfinch moves mostly to the east and west, rather than northward and southward, between seasons.
- Lawrence's Goldfinch was named by John Cassin in 1850 for his colleague George Lawrence, a New York businessman and ornithologist.
Habitat
Open Woodland
Open woodlands, chaparral, and weedy fields.
Food
Seeds
Almost exclusively seeds, mostly from annual plants.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–6 eggs
- Egg Description
- White and unmarked; sometimes very pale blue.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with down along back.
Nest Description
A loose cup of leaves and grass stems, with lichen where available, placed at mid-height in a tree.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Foliage Gleaner
Perches on a plant and picks seeds from it.
Conservation
Least Concern
The erratic movements of this species make tracking of trends very difficult, but overall population size is probably less than 200,000. Because of its limited numbers, is included in the category of highest concern (red) on the Audubon WatchList
Credits
- Davis, J. N. 1999. Lawrence's Goldfinch (Carduelis lawrencei). In The Birds of North America, No. 480 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.