Landbirds are those birds that are most often found inland, away from water. Perching landbirds are those North Carolina bird species that find their food while moving about in vegetation off the the ground. While all the birds highlighted on this page may land on the ground, they spend much of their time in trees and bushes.

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Perching Landbirds

Characteristics of Perching Landbirds

Perching landbirds are those North Carolina bird species that:

  • Are most often spotted off the ground, perched or moving on trees and bushes.
  • Often find their food while moving about in elevated vegetation.

Index of Perching Landbirds

Species

American Goldfinch

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Fringillidae (Finches)

Genus

Spinus (formerly Carduelis)

Species

S. tristis (formerly C. tristis)

Binomial Name

Spinus tristis (formerly Carduelis tristis)

  • The American Goldfinch’s original scientific binomial name was “Carduelis tristis“, and many field guides still use this name.
  • However, the current, approved scientific binomial for this bird species is “Spinus tristis“.
    • The genus Spinus was originally a sub-genus of genus Carduelis but is now considered a separate genus from Carduelis.
  • This species is also known as the “Wild Canary” due to the bright yellow coloration of breeding males.

American Goldfinch Images

How To Identify American Goldfinches

  • American Goldfinches are small birds that grow to only about 5 inches (13 cm) in length.
  • Sexually dimorphic.
    • Males have two distinct plumages: breeding and winter.
      • Breeding Plumage:
        • Bright yellow heads with black patch on face above their bills.
        • Bright yellow bodies with white rumps and black tails.
        • Black wings with white wing bars.
      • Winter Plumage:
        • Looks similar to female American Goldfinches.
    • Females are paler and grayer overall.
      • Muted yellow-gray bodies; white rumps.
      • Heads are uniform yellow-gray, without the black face patch of male American Goldfinches.
      • Gray wings with pale gray wing bars.
  • Both sexes have black eyes and large, robust, conical bills.
  • Look for American Goldfinches in brushy areas, thickets, and weedy meadows, especially in areas close to trees.
    • American Goldfinches are common North Carolina birds but are wary, skittish, and difficult to approach. They fly readily to the shelter of deep brush or into tree foliage when approached even from significant distance.
    • They do visit backyard seed feeders, especially those stocked with Nyger seed or thistle seed.

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.