The responsibilities of life seem to rest lightly on the Goldfinch’s sunny shoulders.
~Roger Tory Peterson
It’s been a very good year for the American Goldfinches in our yard. I haven’t put out thistle seeds this year but the goldfinches seem quite content with the sunflower seeds in the other feeders and, more recently, with the seed heads of various wildflowers scattered around our yard. In late July, they made regular visits to the few Blazing Star (Liatris sp.) plants near the front of the house. Those are planted near one of our water gardens and I have left a screen off of one window so I can open that window to photograph birds coming to the area. Here are a few images from their feeding forays.
-A female American Goldfinch plucks a seed from a Liatris flower stalk while a male does the same in the background. Liatris spikes mature from the top to the bottom, unlike many other species of flower stalks which usually mature from the bottom up (click photos to enlarge)
– American Goldfinches are almost exclusively seed eaters. They are one of our latest nesting songbirds with nesting activity usually starting as late as July or even August in our area
–A female goldfinch pulling seeds from a Liatris flower
-Male American Goldfinches are brilliant yellow and black in their breeding plumage in spring and summer. Winter birds of both sexes are similar, being a drab olive brown with blackish wings and pale wingbars.
-The jet black wings, cap, and tail of a summer American Goldfinch helps make the bright yellow of its back and belly even more brilliant as it flies across the landscape
–Goldfinches are well`adapted for their seed-eating lifestyle. They have strong, conical beaks for cracking seeds and their legs and feet are extremely strong and agile to aid in climbing on and clinging to plant stems as they forage.
-Plus, they have attitude and great balance!
–Another favorite seed type in our yard are those of the Purple Coneflowers
-As the Purple Coneflowers matured, the birds switched their attention to these large seed heads. Almost every afternoon, around 5 o’clock, they descend on that section of the yard and start pulling at the seeds.
-The birds now have a cornucopia of seed types to choose – Purple and Green-headed Coneflowers, Starry Rosinweed, New York Ironweed, and New York Aster, just to name a few.
American Goldfinches are definitely one of the highlights of the bird life outside our windows. Their bright colors, cheery songs, and undulating flight are all another great reason to surround yourself with native wildflowers.
Roads End Naturalist 
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