American Goldfinch

Bright yellow-and-black breeding males are easiest to spot from late spring into summer, often clinging acrobatically to thistle, sunflower, and coneflower heads to pull out seeds, while the buffier winter plumage of both sexes blends in more at feeders. Listen for a cheerful, undulating flight call often rendered as potato-chip, given as the birds bounce between weedy fields, forest edges, and backyard feeders. Because it nests later than most songbirds, waiting for thistledown to line its nest, activity around nesting sites often peaks in mid- to late summer rather than spring.