Complete Guide To The American Goldfinch

American Goldfinch Notes

• American Goldfinches fly fast using a distinctive, shallow, up-and-down swooping style, and twitter in flight.
• American Goldfinches feed primarily on seeds, which they crack open with their large, conical beaks.
  • They are very acrobatic and can hang upside down to access choice seeds.
• Because they rely on seeds for food, their breeding season occurs much later in the year than many other North Carolina bird species (Bull and Farrand, Jr. 1994).
• Male American Goldfinches establish and defend territories during mating season, and display three distinct behaviors that can be very entertaining to watch.
  • Territorial Song: Male American Goldfinches will perch and sing a song that putters out at the end to advertise their ownership of the area.
  • Chase Flight: Males will chase other males using one of two flight styles:
    • “Flat-Flight”: Flat, slow flight sustained by deep, fluttering wingbeats often performed high in the air.
    • “Deep-Loop-Flight”: A roller coaster-like looping flight that alternates deep dives when the male holds its wings closed against its body, and upward glides when the male spreads its wings (Stokes 1979).
  • Territorial Flights: Male American Goldfinches fly in high circles around the perimeters of their territories.
• Female American Goldfinches defend the area near their nest sites against other females (Stokes 1979).
• American Goldfinches have many predators, including raptors that feed on songbirds, like Red-shouldered Hawks (Buteo lineatus), Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), and Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipter striatus), and are often found in flocks.