Colorful and energetic, the lesser goldfinch is a welcome bird in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Not only does this finch have a delightful trilling song, but its propensity to eat thousands of weed seeds is appreciated by farmers and gardeners alike.
Common Name:
Lesser Goldfinch
Scientific Name:
Carduelis psaltria
Appearance:
Bill: Conical, pointed, dark
Size: 4.5 inches long with 8-inch wingspan, slender build
Colors: Olive-green, yellow, black, white
Markings: Dimorphic species. Dimorphic species. Males have a black cap and olive-green or black back (birds in southern and eastern ranges are more likely to have the black back). Black wings show white tips and edges, one white bar and a white patch at the base of the primaries. Underparts are bright yellow, and the notched tail is black. Females are an overall dull olive-green or dusky yellow, and their blackish wings also show white tips and edges with two faint wing bars. Both genders have dark legs and feet.
Foods:
Seeds, insects
Habitat and Migration:
Lesser goldfinches prefer brushy habitat such as woodland edges, scrub meadows or brush fields, particularly with plentiful seed-bearing wildflowers. They can be found year-round along the Pacific Coast
