Month 6 · June · Wave 1

American Goldfinch

Spinus tristis · Fringillidae

Nests late — timed to peak thistle and seed abundance.

At a glance

Size: 4.3–5.1 in
Wingspan: 7.5–8.7 in
Habitat: Weedy fields, roadsides, backyard thistle feeders
Diet: Seeds (especially thistle/nyjer and sunflower)

Range: Southern Canada through most of the U.S.

Nesting: Neat cup in a shrub or small tree; lined with thistle down.

Coloring pose idea: Male on thistle seed head

Hear this bird

General call / song: Per-chic-o-ree in flight; sweet potato song phrases.

Mating / display: Male’s canary-like song from exposed perches; courtship chase flights over fields.

Buttons open trusted public pages with playable recordings. We link out — we do not host or embed the audio.

Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide

How to know it

Breeding male: bright lemon yellow with black cap and black-and-white wings.
Female and winter birds: duller olive-yellow; wing bars still visible.
Bouncy, undulating flight with a per-chic-o-ree call.

Behavior

Almost entirely seed-eating even when feeding young.
Loves nyjer and sunflower chips at feeders.
Often nests in July–August, later than most songbirds.

Fun facts

State bird of Iowa, New Jersey, and Washington.
Molt into drab winter plumage after breeding.
Bills turn brighter orange in breeding season.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.

← All species · https://birds-rjdb.pages.dev/species/american-goldfinch