Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
About This Species
This small finch favours open scrub, weedy fields and gardens across the southwestern United States and Mexico, where flocks feed acrobatically on seed heads of sunflowers, thistles and other composite flowers. Males show a black cap and back contrasting with yellow underparts, while females are duller olive overall, and both give a distinctive plaintive, upslurred call in flight. Weedy field edges and thistledown in late summer are particularly productive places to look.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Feeding flocks in open weedy areas are generally approachable at a modest distance if movements are slow and quiet, though sudden approaches will scatter the group.
- In the United States this species and its nest are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, prohibiting disturbance, capture or collection of eggs.
- Leaving seed heads standing on garden and farmland edges through late summer supports natural foraging without any need for supplemental feeding.
LCAvesPasseriformesFringillidae
Seasonal Activity
4,133,438 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
Photo
(c) David J Barton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by David J Barton
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.