WESTERN BIRDS Goldfinch 



GENUS ASTRAGALINUS : GOLD- 

 FINCH 



Goldfinch: Astragalinus tristis tristis. 

 FAMILY— FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



One of the smallest, best known, and most beloved 

 members of the Finch Family is the little Goldfinch, 

 which is also known as the Thistle Bird and Wild 

 Canary. 



It is about five inches long and the male in summer 

 plumage is a bright yellow save for wings, tail, and 

 crown of head, which are black; the wings have white 

 bars and tail white markings. The heavy bill denotes 

 this bird a seed-eater and differentiates it from the Sum- 

 mer Warbler, which is sometimes called Wild Canary, 

 also. 



The female in summer plumage is much duller than 

 her handsome spouse, having no black cap, but rather 

 the entire upper parts are brownish tinged with olive 

 green; the wings and tail are a duller black, but have 

 the white markings; the under parts are a dull yellow. 

 When winter comes the male changes his suit and be- 

 comes dull like the female, except that he still has his 

 black wings and tail. 



The young birds resemble the females, so that in the 

 winter months, when the adult male has shed his bril- 

 liant color, and the birds are banded together in large 

 flocks, the novice might wonder what had become of 

 the Goldfinches. 



Though a similar bird is found on the Pacific Coast, 

 this species ventures not farther west than eastern Colo- 

 rado. They nest as far south as Oklahoma, central 

 Kansas, and northern Georgia, wintering in most of 

 their breeding range and, also, southward to the Gulf 

 States. 



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