# American Goldfinch (*Spinus tristis*) The American Goldfinch is a cheerful little bird with bright yellow feathers. It loves to sing sweet songs while flitting around gardens and meadows. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 191 - **Habitat:** Fields, gardens, and open woods - **Also known as:** Eastern Goldfinch, Wild Canary ![American Goldfinch](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426560/objects/4534.jpg) ## Appearance The American Goldfinch is a small songbird with a distinctive undulating flight. Males are brilliant lemon-yellow with a contrasting black cap, black wings, and prominent white wing bars. Females are a duller olive-yellow, while both sexes have a short, conical, pinkish bill. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Fringillidae - **Genus:** Spinus ## Interesting facts - Goldfinch chicks are one of the only songbirds fed exclusively seeds, not insects! - The male's vibrant yellow color comes from pigments absorbed from their plant-based diet. - Their tightly woven nests are so strong they can sometimes hold water, accidentally drowning chicks! - They are the only finch species to completely molt their body feathers twice a year. ## Special abilities - **Seed-Cracker Beak:** American Goldfinch has a specially shaped, conical bill that helps them efficiently extract tiny seeds from plants like thistles. - **Undulating Flight:** American Goldfinch can fly in a distinctive bouncy, wave-like pattern because of strong wing beats followed by short glides. - **Late Nester:** American Goldfinch can time their nesting period for late summer because it allows them to use ripe thistle seeds for food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 11-14 cm - **Wingspan:** 19-22 cm - **Weight:** 0.011-0.02 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-7 years - **Speed:** 56 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-6 - **Incubation:** 12-14 days - **Migration Distance:** 1500 km ## Diet & Feeding These tiny birds love to eat seeds, especially thistle and sunflower seeds, making them herbivores. - **Primary Foods:** Thistle seeds, Sunflower seeds, Dandelion seeds, Composite flower seeds, Tree buds - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** Canada Thistle (*Cirsium arvense*) — Main food source for seeds - **Depends on:** Common Sunflower (*Helianthus annuus*) — Popular seed source - **Eaten by:** [Cooper's Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cooper-s-hawk) (*Accipiter cooperii*) — Common predator of songbirds - **Depends on:** [Fuller's Teasel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fullers-teasel) (*Dipsacus fullonum*) — Seeds and nesting material ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching goldfinches from a distance. They are friendly but should not be touched. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify American Goldfinch? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is American Goldfinch? 11-14 cm ### What is American Goldfinch's wingspan? 19-22 cm ### How much does American Goldfinch weigh? 0.011-0.02 kg ### How long does American Goldfinch live? 3-7 years ### How fast can American Goldfinch move? 56 km/h ### What does American Goldfinch eat? These tiny birds love to eat seeds, especially thistle and sunflower seeds, making them herbivores. ### Where is American Goldfinch usually found? Fields, gardens, and open woods ## Where to spot - [Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albemarle-and-chesapeake-canal) — Virginia, US · Historic Site - [American Baptist College](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/american-baptist-college) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Anderson Japanese Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-japanese-gardens) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden - [Blackstone Boulevard–Cole Avenue–Grotto Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-boulevard-cole-avenue-grotto-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Broadway-Armory Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/broadway-armory-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Burke Lake Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/burke-lake-park) — Virginia, US · Park [View all places to see American Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/american-goldfinch) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [American Goldfinch: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-goldfinch)