American Goldfinch Photo Gallery

Breeding male

Small finch with a short, conical bill and a short, notched tail. Breeding males are bright yellow with black forehead, black wings with white markings.

Nonbreeding male

Small finch with a conical bill and notched tail. Nonbreeding males are a drab, unstreaked brown, with blackish wings and two pale wingbars.

Breeding male

Often feeds on small-seeded plants such as thistles. Breeding males have black cap, wings, and tail; bright yellow body.

Breeding female

Breeding females are duller yellow beneath and more olive above than breeding males.

Immature

Immatures are brown above and pale yellow below, shading to buff on the sides. Two buffy wingbars mark their dark wings.

Breeding male

Song is long and jumbled; may include mimicked elements of other birds' songs. Males sing from high, exposed perches. Note white in tail, which is conspicuous in flight.

Molting male

Molting male is a patchy mix of breeding and nonbreeding colors.

Female/immature

Females/immatures are pale yellow below and don't have streaked underparts.

Female/immature

These nimble birds feed on small-seeded plants including sycamores. Females are brownish without any streaking and have distinctive, bold black wings with whitish wingbars.

Breeding male

Breeding males have a black forehead, a yellow back, and black-and-white wings. Some males have more white-tipped (worn) feathers on their wings than others.

In flight

Has a bouncy, undulating flight style. Often calls in flight, with a bird sounding like it is saying "po-ta-to-chip."

Female/immature

Despite having a fairly small bill for a finch, goldfinches can crack and remove the hard shells of sunflowers, then crush the seed inside before swallowing.

Breeding female

Breeding female is yellow below, with black wings, but lacks breeding male's black forehead.

Molting male

Molting male has an incomplete black forehead and a patchy mix of bright yellow and brown.

Breeding male

Breeding male is a stunning mix of yellow, black, and white.

Male and female

Balances on the seedheads of thistles, dandelions, and other plants to pluck seeds.

Adult and juvenile

Breeds later than most North American birds, waiting until mid-summer when plants have produced fibrous seeds that adults use to build nests and also feed their young.

Flock

Frequently feeds in flocks at sunflower and nyjer seed feeders.

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American Goldfinch Photo Gallery

Breeding male

Nonbreeding male

Breeding male

Breeding female

Immature

Breeding male

Molting male

Female/immature

Female/immature

Breeding male

In flight

Female/immature

Breeding female

Molting male

Breeding male

Male and female

Adult and juvenile

Flock

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