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Goldfinch - (Carduelis tristis)
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Goldfinch Gallery
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| Last September three
goldfinch juveniles landed on a perch
together. They seemed to have mastered
control of their wings, had no loose,
out-of -place, early feathers and had
excellent balance. Because they were a
pretty buff-color and stayed to enjoy the view, the triplets were probably
older juveniles who had gained some
independence from the parent
goldfinches. But, life in the backyard
can be still be new and puzzling (an
exciting adventure while learning
important survival skills). |
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Hey, can
you just see,
where the birdseed might be?
It's not
over here,
it's not under there.
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It's not on
the ground,
it's not in the air! |
We
just need to look,
not quote a Seuss book! |
May miss chance to eat
the fresh seeds for a treat,
by bad timing
and rhyming! |
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August
2009 - While taking lots of photos of babies in
our backyard, I noticed a band on the leg of the
daddy goldfinch. I have no equipment to read or
document information from banded birds. I
deeply regret that I could not send information
back that this banded bird has successfully bred
in our backyard in upstate New York.
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March
20, 2009 - Our motion activated camera caught
lots of goldfinches and friends taking flight. Until we set up the camera in this area I didn't
realize that these birds enjoy safflower seeds
and the feed we use with the bigger birds in
mind. I guess the real point is that birds are
pretty adaptable and will eat what interests
them. So the moral is: offer up what you have-
they may not be as fussy as you think.
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These bright yellow and not so yellow
(female, of course) little birds were one of the
first guests when we decided to go into
"business" by putting up multiple feeders.
Research soon led us to put thistle seed (Nyjer
) into one of our tube feeders. The matching
feeder held regular finch seed. We soon
added feed sacks too. These are the one
type of seed and feeder that our visiting black
bear will ignore.
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It has been interesting
to watch the male goldfinches molt into their
very dull winter wear. The reverse molting
was not an instantaneous process. For
about a month, we could see the males get
brighter and brighter (starting with their
necks). It soon seemed like little pieces
of sun flitting among the branches and spring
flowering bushes.
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The females are at least
consistent if uninteresting in their protective
drab olive feathers. The juveniles, while
similar to their mothers, seem a more cute, tan
teddy bear color. Their little fuzzy heads,
curious expressions and awkward movements are
very endearing.
I have since begun to suspect
that goldfinches aided greatly in the death of a
young cherry tree we planted (consistently
snacking on the little, tender leaves. Now I
see those tricky birds eating the gorgeous dark
purple blooms on the new butterfly bushes. Maybe
not so endearing after all.
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Molting
Since feathers are not permanent, a bird must
shed and replace them, a process called molting.
Most birds in our area will molt all their
feathers, both flight and body plumage, after
caring for offspring and before or after any
migration (late summer or early autumn). The
goldfinch, unlike others in his family, will
molt a second time in spring. Old feathers are
pushed out and new ones grow in their place.
Brightly colored yellow birds in summer become
duller after the fall molt.
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Size:
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Length: 5 in
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Weight: .45 oz |
Wingspan: 9 in |
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ID:
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Male: Bright yellow with black cap,
tail and wings (white wing bars); white
rump; short conical orange bill in
summer and silvery buff in winter;
orange feet are anisodactylous(three
toes point forward and one toe points
backward); duller color in fall or
winter.
Female and Juvenile: Pale yellow under
parts, olive upper parts. Juvenile has
buffy color wing bars, female has white
wingbars
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Habitat:
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Forest, bushes, shrubs, parks,
suburbs.
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Diet:
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Seeds (sunflower, nyjer), berries
and may unintentionally swallow an
occasional insect; considered the
strictest vegetarian of all the birds
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Family Behavior:
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Mating Habits: Monogamous;
semi-colonial; male engages in aerial
display of roller coaster flight; one
brood per year; late summer breeder
Local Breeding Period: Early July
Nests: Cup shaped, vegetable fibers,
lined with plant down; caterpillar and
spider webbing used to bind outer rim;
nest in leafy bushes and trees; built by
female
Eggs: 4-6 plain bluish white;
female incubates 10-12 days
Nestlings: 11-17 days; male and female
feed regurgitated seeds to young
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Social Activities:
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Small groups or flocks year round;
tame; not territorial.
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Range:
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Breeding: Northern United States and
Southern Canada
Winter: Same as breeding range but not
in central and western United States
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Vocalization:
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A succession of high pitched twitters
and trills. Call sounds like
"per-chick-a-ree".
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| Lifespan: |
Up to 11 years |
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