THE ARKANSAS GOLDFINCH. 



[Spinus psaltria. ) 



The Goldfinch, social, chirping, bright, 

 Takes in those branches his delight. 

 A troop like flying sunbeams pass 

 And light among the vivid grass. 

 Or in the end of some long branch, 

 Like acrobats, in air they launch. 

 And in the wild wind sway and swing. 

 Intent to twitter, glance and sing. 

 — Rose Terry Cooke, "My Apple Tree." 



These lines of the poet were inspired 

 by the beautiful goldfinch so familiar to 

 all, and usually cahed yellow-bird and 

 thistle-bird. They form an appropriate 

 introduction to a few words regarding 

 the thistle-bird's sister species of the 

 Pacific coast — the Arkansas Goldfinch. 

 This bright and sprightly bird enlivens 

 the shrubby ravines and weedy places 

 from Oregon southward through the 

 United States, and from the Pacific 

 coast eastward into Colorado. Through- 

 out its range it is quite common and 

 nests on the plains and also in the moun- 

 tains to a height of nine thousand feet. 

 Abundant in many mountainous regions, 

 it has been given the name Rocky Moun- 

 tain Goldfinch, and the olive-green color 

 of the plumage of its back has given it 

 the very appropriate name Arkansas 

 Green-backed Goldfinch. 



Like the common thistle-bird, it has a 

 social disposition and feeds with its fel- 

 lows in flocks of a greater or less num- 

 ber. Not infrequently several individ- 



uals will alight on the same plant and 

 immediately begin a diligent search for 

 their food of seeds. Active and of a 

 seemingly impatient temperament, it sel- 

 dom remains long in any one locality, 

 yet a garden rich in sunflower blossoms 

 or a field full of blooming thistles fur- 

 nished so tempting a larder that a flock 

 may patiently labor therein for some 

 time, gathering an abundance of gold- 

 finch dainties. 



Its notes are similar to those of the 

 thistle-birds. "The ordinary note is a 

 plaintative mellow, whistling call, im- 

 possible to describe and so inflected as 

 to produce a very mournful effect." 

 While pursuing its undulating flight, it 

 utters a sweet song which is in harmony 

 with the rise and fall of its onward mo- 

 tion and is indicative of its sweet dispo- 

 sition. Its nest is a dainty structure 

 built of fine bark and other vegetable 

 fibers, fine grasses and moss compactly 

 bound together and quite thickly lined 

 with plant down. 



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