Stay Golden!

     In the summer I often see these little golden finches in my front yard, devouring the seeds from the pink echinacea flowers. You might have seen these birds in your own garden. This cute little birdy is the state bird of New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington. It gets its food from many types of flowers, the echinacea flowers we planted in Rand Park being one of their absolute favorites.

Goldfinches eating echinacea

     Goldfinches, Spinus tristis, and cone flowers, Echinacea purpurea, have a mutualistic relationship in which both organisms benefit. The coneflower is a food source for the finches, and the finches help the coneflower reproduce by dispersing its seeds.

     In the spring and early summer, adult males are bright yellow with a black forehead, black wings with white markings, and white patches both above and beneath the tail. Females are a duller yellow and more olive colored. Winter birds are drab in color, brown with blackish wings and light wing markings. Although these birds lose their colorful coats in winter, they can still be identified by their notched tails, unique markings, and beak. Read more about goldfinch coloration here!

What a cute couple!

     When it's breeding time, males will perform a courtship ritual of fluttering his wings and singing a beautiful song. When the love is found, the new couple will typically settle down in deciduous shrubs or trees. The nest is built by the female and is so sturdy and compact it may even hold water. When the time is right to add a new member to the family, the female will incubate 4-6 eggs for about two weeks. The parents work together to feed the young until they leave the nest two weeks after hatching. 

Feeding time!

     Goldfinches are native to the U.S. and they are very important to the biodiversity of our ecosystems. Invasive birds, like sparrows and starlings, threaten to outcompete the goldfinches. To help the goldfinch species in our area, we grew Echinacea and filled birdfeeders with seeds that they prefer. Hopefully this will help the birds thrive and we will see a lot more of them next year!

Goldfinches kissing and sharing seeds

By Maureen Dunn and Lily Cunningham