Lesser Goldfinch

Carduelis psaltriaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Finches (Fringillidae)

Codes: Common Name: LEGO Scientific Name: CARPSA ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179234

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Overview

Lesser Goldfinch: Small finch with dark back (black in the east, dark green in the west), black crown, bright yellow underparts. Wings, tail black with white markings. Forages in shrubs, brush, weedy fields for seeds and insects. Swift flight, alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

Range and Habitat

Lesser Goldfinch: Resident from Washington, Oregon, and northern Nevada east to northern Colorado and Texas, and south beyond the U.S.-Mexico border. Eastern race is found from northern Colorado southward through Texas and westward to Utah and Arizona. Western race occurs from Utah westward to Columbia River and southward into Mexico. Preferred habitats include oak savannas, woodlands, and suburban gardens.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"tee-yee", "cheeo"

Interesting Facts

The Lesser Goldfinch was first described in 1823 by Thomas Say, an American naturalist.

Males are markedly polymorphic and 5 subspecies are often named; at least 2 of them seem to represent a less-progressed stage in evolution.

Their molt shows a broad zone of intergradation, with the molting period, timing, and pattern varying depending on geographical location.

A group of goldfinches has many collective nouns, including a " 007", "charm", "rush", "treasury", and "vein" of goldfinches.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

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Artist

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Lesser Goldfinch

● Song: "tee-yee", "cheeo"

● Foraging & Feeding: Lesser Goldfinch: Diet consists mostly of seeds.

● Breeding & nesting: Lesser Goldfinch: Three to six light blue eggs are laid in a twiggy nest built in a bush or low tree. Incubation is approximately 12 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Lesser Goldfinch: Female and juvenile American Goldfinches have browner upperparts, pale bills, and lack white wing patches.

Flight Pattern

High bouncy swift flight with rapid wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Lesser Goldfinch: Resident from Washington, Oregon, and northern Nevada east to northern Colorado and Texas, and south beyond the U.S.-Mexico border. Eastern race is found from northern Colorado southward through Texas and westward to Utah and Arizona. Western race occurs from Utah westward to Columbia River and southward into Mexico. Preferred habitats include oak savannas, woodlands, and suburban gardens.

^BreedingMonogamous

^Population

^MigrationNorthern birds migrate

^Weight0.3 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Crown

The crown is the top part of the birds head.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America