American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)

American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis

TAXONOMY:

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Carduelis
species: tristis

This is a male American goldfinch

This is a female American goldfinch

MORPHOLOGY:

Male: Summer-The dorsal and ventral sides are yellow except for the cap on the head, the wings, and the tail which are black and the undertail coverts which are white. There are white wing bars on the wings. The bill is orange in color. Winter-The color changes from yellow to a more yellowish-brown on the dorsal and ventral sides, but there is more of a yellowish coloration on the face and chin. The wings are black with white wing bars. The bill changes from orange to black.
Female: Summer-The dorsal and ventral sides are yellowish-green in color, except the wings and tail are black and the undertail coverts are white. The wings have white wing bars. The bill is orange in color. Winter-The color changes to a grayish-brown color with the wings becoming dark brown, but still have the white wing bars. The bill changes from orange to black.

FOOD: eats seeds, insects, and berries.

MATING SYSTEM: monogamous.

BREEDING SYSTEM:

Where Breeds: Breeds near water or in a swampy area (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Nest: The nest is found in a tree or in a shrub 3-10 ft. high or low on tall weeds (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). Th nest is placed on twigs or in a fork between uprights with nesting material bound around supports (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). Th nest is a compact cup made out of plant fibers and strips of bark, catkins, plant down, cotton, and wool (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is lined with plant down and is bound on the edges with spider webs (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is built by the female in 4 to 6 days (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Breeding Season: The breeding season begins in April or May in the southwest of range and in mid-June or early July in east of the range (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). This species has 2 to 3 broods a season (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Eggs: There are 4-6 eggs laid in a clutch (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eggs are subelliptical to oval in shape and very pale blue or greenish-blue in color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The average size of an egg is 16 X 12 mm (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Incubation: The incubation period is from 12-14 days and is done by the female (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The male will feed the female during the incubation period (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Nestling: The young are born altricial and downy, with the down being pale gray in color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The mouth is pinkish-red and the gape flanges are creamy-yellow in color of the young (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The young fledge from the nest 11-17 days after hatching and are tended by both parents while in the nest (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).

MIGRATION STATUS IN WISCONSIN:
The American goldfinch is a resident species.

REFERENCES:
Baicicich, P.J. and Harrison, C.J.O. 1997. A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, 2nd edition. Academic Press: San Diego.

Stokes, D.W. and Stokes, L.Q. 1996. Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region. Little, Brown and Co.: Boston.

Last Updated: March 27, 2005

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