Washington State Bird
American Goldfinch (common name)  Carduelis tristis (scientific name) Overview The brightly colored American goldfinch is a popular sight at backyard feeders. The male is vibrant yellow in the summer and turns an olive green color during the winter. The female is yellow-brown in color, turning duller during the winter. Both sexes have a beak that is pink for most of the year and turns orange in the spring. The American goldfinch was declared the official state bird of Iowa in 1933 and New Jersey in 1935. It was designated Washington's state bird in 1951. It forages in groups for seeds in shrubs and on the ground and will occasionally also eat insects. The bird's small, conical beak allows the extraction of seeds from thistles, sunflowers, and other seed-bearing plants. The song is a combination of high-pitched twitters, warbling songs, and distinctive call notes. Goldfinches mate for life and raise one or two broods per year. The goldfinch feeds insects to its young. Close-up STATUS Official ALSO KNOWN AS Beet-bird, black-winged yellow bird, California goldfinch, catnip-bird, common goldfinch, lettuce bird, northwestern goldfinch, pale goldfinch, salad-bird, shiner, thistle bird, western goldfinch, willow goldfinch, yellow goldfinch, yellow-bird, yellowbird, American goldfinch, wild canary PHYSICAL DETAILS  Male Female  Size Length to end of tail: 4.5 in (11–13 cm) Wing from flexure: 7–9 in (19–22 cm) Length of tail: 5 in (13 cm) Length to end of tail: 4.5 in (11–13 cm) Wing from flexure: 7–9 in (19–22 cm) Length of tail: 5 in (13 cm)  Weight 0.39–0.71 oz (11–20 g) 0.39–0.71 oz (11–20 g) BEHAVIOR During the non-breeding season, goldfinches gather in large flocks that include other types of finches. Flocks fly in an undulating, wave-shaped pattern. HABITAT Open country such as fields, meadows, orchards, gardens, flood plains, and open deciduous forests, preferably with rivers. Range: From southern Canada to northern Mexico. The summer breeding range stretches from Saskatchewan to northern California in the west and to North Carolina in the east. Migration: Populations in Canada and the southern United States migrate seasonally, although they will remain resident if food is abundant. Conservation Status: Least concern (LC) NESTING Nesting Period: July until mid-September Size of Clutch: 3–7 Incubation Period: 10–12 days Egg Description: pale blue unmarked eggs Egg Size: 0.6 x 0.45 in (16 x 12 mm) SIMILAR SPECIES Pine siskin, lesser goldfinch, yellow warbler, Wilson's warbler TRIVIA American goldfinches breed later in the year than any other finch because of the abundance of seeds in the late summer months.
	Click to enlarge an image Male American Goldfinch Female American Goldfinch American Goldfinches Feeding American Goldfinch Distribution Map (pdf) CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Fringillidae Genus: Carduelis Species: C. tristis
	Author: World Trade Press