American Goldfinch

By Sandeep Singh

    Wow! This bird looks like Tweety from Looney Tunes. Well... close because this bird is actually the American Goldfinch. The American Goldfinch's Latin name is Spinus Tristis which means 'sad blackthorn.' This bird is so well known it has become the state bird of three states: New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington. Their size is around 4.3-5.5 inches and weight being around 0.39-0.71 oz. The male goldfinch is bright yellow in color while the female is brownish-olive. These birds do not migrate very often. You will only see these birds migrating from cold areas such as Canada. American Goldfinch's habitat are woodlands, roadsides, floodplains, gardens, and weedy fields. They stay in these areas because their main diet is based on grains and seeds. Very rarely they will eat small insects for a source of protein. Their status is of least concern because there are roughly 24 million in the world. Better for us, we don't have to worry about not being able to see these beautiful birds again.