American Goldfinch

Adult males in summer are bright yellow with a black forehead and black wings with white bars. Females are duller olive-yellow. In winter, both sexes molt into a drab brownish-olive plumage with blackish wings for identification.

Bright yellow body (male summer), black cap, notched tail, white wing bars, and white rump.

Length: 4.3–5.5 in (11–14 cm), Wingspan: 7.5–8.7 in (19–22 cm), Weight: 0.4–0.7 oz (11–20 g).

A lively series of musical warbles and trills. The distinctive flight call sounds like 'per-chic-o-ree' or 'po-ta-to-chip'.

Strictly granivorous; eats seeds from composites (sunflowers, thistle, asters), grasses, and trees (alder, birch).

Open woodlands, weedy fields, floodplains, orchards, and suburban gardens.

Mid-distance migrant; some populations are year-round residents while northern-most breeders move south for the winter.

A late nester (July–September) to coincide with the glut of thistle seeds. They build a tight cup nest of plant fibers, often so dense it can hold water.

Lesser Goldfinch (smaller, darker back), Evening Grosbeak (larger, thicker bill), Pine Siskin (heavily streaked).

Acts as a seed disperser and is a primary consumer of various weed seeds, helping to control certain plant populations.

Least Concern (IUCN); population is stable and wide-ranging.

Look for them in open fields with thistles or around backyard bird feeders, especially those offering nyjer (thistle) or sunflower seeds. Their 'po-ta-to-chip' flight call is a great audio clue.

They are one of the last birds to nest each year. Because they are strict vegetarians, Brown-headed Cowbird chicks rarely survive in Goldfinch nests because they cannot grow on a seed-only diet.