The Glorious Goldfinch
An amazing picture of a goldfinch in flight
Summers would not be complete without the arrival of the goldfinch. This beautiful song bird has a range of most of North America including one third of Canada, and are anxiously awaited by many bird watchers after a long winter.
The goldfinch can be compared to the size of a sparrow or more accurately a canary. At first glance one might think it is an escaped canary because of the similarities, however it is a member of the finch family. The bright yellow body is its calling card, with black features on the top of the head and the wings, as well as the tip of the tail. The contrast with the colours makes this bird stand out beautifully.
Since canaries are warm weather birds the goldfinch could be called the snow canary, however it is smart enough to leave the cold temperatures and migrate in the fall to avoid the snow. When it does get caught in snow it is known to burrow under it looking for a warm spot, or huddle with other goldfinches,
before continuing the journey south.
The goldfinch can be compared to the size of a sparrow or more accurately a canary. At first glance one might think it is an escaped canary because of the similarities, however it is a member of the finch family. The bright yellow body is its calling card, with black features on the top of the head and the wings, as well as the tip of the tail. The contrast with the colours makes this bird stand out beautifully.
Since canaries are warm weather birds the goldfinch could be called the snow canary, however it is smart enough to leave the cold temperatures and migrate in the fall to avoid the snow. When it does get caught in snow it is known to burrow under it looking for a warm spot, or huddle with other goldfinches,
before continuing the journey south.
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The song of the goldfinch is light and pretty and often heard as they fly through the air. It is particularly interesting watching them sing while flying because when they rise ever so slightly up, they sing as they dip back down, repeating this pattern over and over again; it literally looks like they are having fun! Goldfinch, also known with its scientific name: Carduelis tristis, appears to be a very happy and sociable bird, eager to hang out with other goldfinches, especially after breeding season.
When the goldfinch does get down to breeding it is not until mid to late summer. Some theories suggest it is because of molting, others because of food sources. Both may be true, but another motive may be because most other birds are finished their breeding and have raised their young. This would leave prime spots open for the Goldfinch resulting in less competition and danger; making the goldfinch not only happy but very smart! |
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The goldfinch breeds near water, often in fruit trees, and have an interesting ritual. The female is the master builder and constructs the nest with material she gathers along with some of the materials from the male. She exclusively builds the nest and weaves it so tight it can often hold water. Since the female never leaves the nest while incubating the eggs, the water in it comes in handy since she does not need to fly to get any. During this time the food is brought by the male as he stores seed in his beak to feed the female and eventually the babies. It’s also worth noting the male has a longer beak and therefore may be able to get to essential seeds better than the female.
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Goldfinch loves seeds and they have favourites should you wish to attract them. Gardeners should pay attention to this as well, because cutting off the dead head of a bloom will not provide the food source they need, leave it on and let it turn to seed.
The primary plants that attract the goldfinch are; thistles, dandelion, and ragweed, which are all considered weeds to most people, however there are two trees they like, the alder and the silk lilac and a number of garden plants which will do just fine and they are; cosmos, sunflowers and cone flowers. To bring this divine wonder to the garden plant these three aforementioned plants; it really doesn’t matter how close to the house you plant them either because when they are ready to be harvested by the goldfinch, they won`t shy away and will most definitely come close to your house to get them! |
A male goldfinch perched on a conifer
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Water features are important for goldfinch and other birds
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Other ways to attract this bird to your yard are water features such as a pond or fountain. The louder the water feature the faster it will attract them, but always keep them close to some kind of cover so they feel safe to come and drink or take a bath. Bird feeders are also a popular choice and goldfinch like it stocked with sunflowers and/or niger seed. One note however, it’s a good idea to not fill up a bird feeder during migration time because the bird may stay longer than it is supposed to and get caught in cold weather when it should be migrating.
Goldfinch can be found in cities but they also like ravines and open spaces to spread their wings, therefore they gravitate towards the country more. To ensure they make it to your yard make sure there is plenty of trees, a water feature of some kind, perhaps a bird feeder and gardens full of cosmos and sunflowers! They just love those two the most!
Enjoy the goldfinch as it truly is one of summer’s treats!
Goldfinch can be found in cities but they also like ravines and open spaces to spread their wings, therefore they gravitate towards the country more. To ensure they make it to your yard make sure there is plenty of trees, a water feature of some kind, perhaps a bird feeder and gardens full of cosmos and sunflowers! They just love those two the most!
Enjoy the goldfinch as it truly is one of summer’s treats!
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