Lesser Goldfinch: how to recognise it
A bird of North America and South America. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Jeremy Gatten · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Spinus psaltria
- Family
- Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Size
- About 11 cm
- Habitat
- Open woodland, scrub and gardens
- Found in
- North America and South America
The key marks
Tiny finch; male has a black cap, yellow underparts, a dark back and a white patch in the wing. American Goldfinch male in summer is brighter yellow all over with only a black forehead and white wing bars, not a white wing patch.
Voice
A sweet, twittering song and a plaintive 'tee-yee' call.
Good to know
It feeds in flocks on seeds of thistles and sunflowers, often hanging from the seed heads.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the American Goldfinch. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in open woodland, scrub and gardens. It is especially common in Arizona, California and Mexico. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.