Minnesota Seasons - American Goldfinch


American Goldfinch			More photos…
Carduelis tristis

Order	Passeriformes (Perching birds)
Family	Fringillidae (Finches and Hawaiian honeycreepers)
Status	Common to abundant
Habitat	Weedy fields, woodland edges, meadows.
Food
Size	4½″ to 5″

Identification

Similar Species

Nesting

Range		Breeding: (map) Winter: Southern two-thirds of the state

Sightings	Afton State Park Agassiz Dunes SNA Avon Hills Forest SNA North Unit Beaver Creek Valley State Park Black Dog Nature Preserve SNA Blanket Flower Prairie SNA Buffalo River State Park Cannon Wilderness Woods Cedar Mountain SNA Chippewa Prairie Cottonwood River Prairie SNA Crow-Hassan Park Reserve Des Moines River Prairie SNA Earley Lake Park Flandrau State Park Fort Snelling State Park Glacial Lakes State Park Holthe Prairie SNA Iron Horse Prairie SNA Kasota Prairie SNA Lake Maria State Park Lake Rebecca Park Reserve Lost Valley Prairie SNA Louisville Swamp		Miesville Ravine Park Reserve Minneopa State Park Mound Spring Prairie SNA Myre-Big Island State Park Old Mill State Park Ordway Prairie Oronoco Prairie SNA Osmundson Prairie SNA Pine Bend Bluffs SNA Racine Prairie SNA Rice Lake State Park River Terrace Prairie SNA St. Croix Savanna SNA Santee Prairie SNA Savage Fen SNA Schaefer Prairie Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Sibley State Park Strandness Prairie Wahpeton Prairie WMA Wild Indigo Prairie SNA Wild River State Park

Phenology	April 1, 2011 – First sighting in spring (back yard feeder) May 10, 2012 – First summer goldfinches arrive at backyard feeder. The winter goldfinches have been gone for at least a month. December 12, 2011 – Goldfinches are at the backyard feeder after a two-week absence. These must be migrating goldfinches from the north on their way to their winter residence. I brought the thistle seed feeder out of storage for them. January 5, 2012 – Eight American Goldfinches at the birdfeeder, flocking with House Finches an House Sparrows. It has to be too late to migrate. These must be wintering here. They appear at least twice a day, once mid-morning, again mid-afternoon.

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Female