The Nest of the Goldfinch. 21 



THE NEST OF THE GOLDFINCH (Asfmgaliniis t. tris- 

 tis) BASED ON STUDY OF THE DE- 

 SERTED NESTS. 



BY FRANCIS M. ROOT. 



Everyone who has noticed birds at all is sure to know the 

 Goldfinch, although he may call it a " Wild Canary." He is 

 a jolly little fellow and his undulating flight and pretty " Per- 

 chic-o-ree " call are known by every bird-lover. But it is 

 only the select few who know him the year round ; who have 

 watched him through the winter in his brown suit, and 

 watched his nest-building in the summer. 



All through the winter the Goldfinches who remain with 

 us wander about in little bands of from six or eight up to a 

 score or two, subsisting on weed-seeds and scattered grain. 

 In the spring the males change their brown coats for others 

 of brilliant yellow and black, but they still wander about, re- 

 inforced by their brethren who have wintered in the south, 

 until mid-summer. 



In late July or early August the Goldfinches set about 

 building their dainty, cup-like nests, in which the females lay 

 from four to six very light blue eggs, which in a couple of 

 weeks hatch out into baby Goldfinches. Then comes a busy 

 time, for the parents must hurry around and catch enough 

 insects, mainly plant-lice and flies, for their insatiable little 

 charges. When the young finally leave the nest their food 

 soon changes to the regulation diet of their family ; a little 

 gleaned grain, thistle, milkweed, sunflower and weed seeds. 



During the winter, the Goldfinches are found mainly on 

 pasture lands or fields that were allowed to grow up to weeds 

 after the crops were gathered, their distribution being de- 

 termined almost entirely by that of suitable food. In the 

 spring they wander anywhere, and in the fall, when all the 

 weed-seeds are ripe, when grain is being gathered in and left 

 scattered on the ground, when all nature seems to be making 

 provision for the seed-eaters ; in this season the Goldfinches 

 may roam where they please, and always find themselves in 



