American Goldfinch Identification

Meet the charming American Goldfinch! This quick 2-minute introduction presents all the basic information you need to know about this common North American bird, from identification to foods, nesting behavior, range, and more.

Small finch with a short, conical bill and a short, notched tail. Breeding males are bright yellow with black forehead, black wings with white markings.

Small finch with a conical bill and notched tail. Nonbreeding males are a drab, unstreaked brown, with blackish wings and two pale wingbars.

Often feeds on small-seeded plants such as thistles. Breeding males have black cap, wings, and tail; bright yellow body.

Breeding females are duller yellow beneath and more olive above than breeding males.

Immatures are brown above and pale yellow below, shading to buff on the sides. Two buffy wingbars mark their dark wings.

Song is long and jumbled; may include mimicked elements of other birds' songs. Males sing from high, exposed perches. Note white in tail, which is conspicuous in flight.

Molting male is a patchy mix of breeding and nonbreeding colors.

Females/immatures are pale yellow below and don't have streaked underparts.

These nimble birds feed on small-seeded plants including sycamores. Females are brownish without any streaking and have distinctive, bold black wings with whitish wingbars.

Breeding males have a black forehead, a yellow back, and black-and-white wings. Some males have more white-tipped (worn) feathers on their wings than others.

Has a bouncy, undulating flight style. Often calls in flight, with a bird sounding like it is saying "po-ta-to-chip."

Despite having a fairly small bill for a finch, goldfinches can crack and remove the hard shells of sunflowers, then crush the seed inside before swallowing.

Breeding female is yellow below, with black wings, but lacks breeding male's black forehead.

Molting male has an incomplete black forehead and a patchy mix of bright yellow and brown.

Breeding male is a stunning mix of yellow, black, and white.

Balances on the seedheads of thistles, dandelions, and other plants to pluck seeds.

Breeds later than most North American birds, waiting until mid-summer when plants have produced fibrous seeds that adults use to build nests and also feed their young.

Frequently feeds in flocks at sunflower and nyjer seed feeders.