• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Local Navigation
  • Skip to Search
  • Skip to Sitemap
  • Skip to Footer

Lesser Goldfinch

Carduelis psaltria ORDER: PASSERIFORMES FAMILY: FRINGILLIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

  • Related Species
  • Go to:
Lesser Goldfinch Photo

The Lesser Goldfinch is a small, seed-eating finch of the Southwest. It comes in two forms: a dark-backed one in Texas, and a greenish-backed one farther westward.

Birds of North America Online
For complete information on this species, visit The Birds of North America Online.

At a GlanceHelp

Measurements
Both Sexes
Other Names
  • Chardonneret mineur (French)
  • Jilguero dominico (Spanish)

Cool Facts

  • Male Lesser Goldfinches in the most eastern part of their range in the United States tend to have black backs and napes. Those found to the westward have green backs and only a black cap. The amount of black varies throughout the range, with many birds having partly-green backs. The amount of black shown by males can vary within a given locality too. South of central Mexico, all of the males are black-backed.

Habitat


Open Woodland

Food


Seeds

Nesting

Nest Placement

Tree

Behavior


Foliage Gleaner

Conservation

status via IUCN

Least Concern

Populations appear stable.

Credits

  • Watt, D. J., and E. J. Willoughby. 1999. Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria). In The Birds of North America, No. 392 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

Range Map Help

Lesser Goldfinch Range Map
View dynamic map of eBird sightings
Project FeederWatch