Lesser Goldfinch

Colorful and energetic, the lesser goldfinch is a welcome bird in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Not only does this finch have a delightful trilling song, but its propensity to eat thousands of weed seeds is appreciated by farmers and gardeners alike.
Common Name:

Lesser Goldfinch
Scientific Name:

Carduelis psaltria


Bill: Conical, pointed, dark
Size: 4.5 inches long with 8-inch wingspan, slender build
Colors: Olive-green, yellow, black, white
Markings: Dimorphic species. Dimorphic species. Males have a black cap and olive-green or black back (birds in southern and eastern ranges are more likely to have the black back). Black wings show white tips and edges, one white bar and a white patch at the base of the primaries. Underparts are bright yellow, and the notched tail is black. Females are an overall dull olive-green or dusky yellow, and their blackish wings also show white tips and edges with two faint wing bars. Both genders have dark legs and feet.


Seeds, insects
Habitat and Migration:

Lesser goldfinches prefer brushy habitat such as woodland edges, scrub meadows or brush fields, particularly with plentiful seed-bearing wildflowers. They can be found year-round along the Pacific Coast

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