American Goldfinch

This is the time when the male American Goldfinch looks his best! You can't miss seeing them with their bright yellow feathers and they hope that the females will do the same.

They come to seed feeders with sunflower and thistle seed, or look for seeds on grasses and in deciduous trees and shrubs. It helps them not to mow everything, and even let a thistle plant grow for the fun of seeing them eat those seeds.

During wintertime, their plumage changes and they look more subdued like the females and juveniles do. Most of them move south to Oregon or California during that time, but some stay in back yards with bird feeders.

The American Goldfinch is our state bird and also that of Iowa and New Jersey.

Photo and text by Rosi Jansen, Fine Feathered Friends