Meet the American Goldfinch

 American Goldfinch

The first image that may come to mind when you think about an American Goldfinch, may be similar to the bright yellow bird above. Notice the black forehead, black wings with white wing bars and the orange bill. However in the the winter the American Goldfinch is still here, but its plumage or feathers changed to a tan color like the female in the photo below. 

Above is a photo of American Goldfinches in the winter. They are more of a tan color with some splashes of yellow, but the black wings with white wing bars are still easy to see and that is one way to identify them.

In the bottom photo taken in March, you can see the yellow starting to appear on the male American Goldfinch. He is getting ready to turn a bright yellow, so he can impress the females in the spring.

American Goldfinches live in South Dakota year-round. They eat seeds only. They are 4-5" long and weigh as much as a CD disc. They like weedy fields and open woodlands. They used to be called the yellow canary. While most songbirds begin nesting in May, the American Goldfinch doesn't begin nesting until July or August in the east. Consider setting up a birdfeeder complex to attract the American Goldfinches to your yard, so you can get a better look!

VIDEOS:

Click on the links below.

Grab paper and a pencil and click on the link below to do a step-by-step drawing of an American Goldfinch with David Allen Sibley.

Click here:  

Drawing an American Goldfinch with David Sibley  {A 5 minute video.}

American Goldfinch: The Late Breeder Video  {An 8 minute video.}