Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch

Dave Zittin

Lesser Goldfinches are regular visitors to our backyard. Most of the time this tiny finch is seen in mixed flocks, shoulder-to-shoulder at the seed feeder with Oak Titmouse, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and their finch relatives, the Pine Siskin and House Finch.

Male Lesser Goldfinch. Note the black crown extending to the nape. The white rectangle on the wing shows most of the time, but not always. David Zittin

Lesser Goldfinch live almost entirely on seeds. Sunflower and niger seeds are among their favorites. In nature, they feed on flowering plants, especially those in the composite family, and are often seen eating on the common fiddleneck (Amsinckia spp.). Lesser Goldfinches are one of the few species in North America that rear their young exclusively on seeds.

Female Lesser Goldfinch. Note the prominent white rectangular area on the base of the outer primaries. Because there is no black crown, this is a female. Hita Bambhania-Modha

Lesser Goldfinches are acrobats and a lot of fun to watch when feeding in the wild. They are light enough to hang onto wispy flower stalks and can consume seeds upright, upside down, and in any other position you can imagine. When bullied by other birds at our seed feeder, it is not uncommon to see one go upside down on the feeder’s perch wires in order to yield to a more aggressive bird.

The Lesser Goldfinch, Spinus psaltria, is a member of the finch family, Fringillidae, which includes 49 genera and 229 species. In the genus Spinus there are 20 species, four of which occur in the United States: Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, and Lesser Goldfinch. A few species are Eurasian and the rest occur in Latin America.

Black-backed Lesser Goldfinch in Costa Rica. Note the white rectangle on the wings and yellow under tail coverts. Dave Zittin

The Lesser Goldfinch shows different colors over its distribution. In our area, they have yellow-greenish backs. Individuals east of the Rockies and south into Latin America have darker upperparts, with backs becoming blacker the further south one goes into Mexico. In Costa Rica once, I was sure I had a lifer until a local bird expert assured me I was looking at a Lesser Goldfinch. Unlike the American Goldfinch, the colors of the Lesser Goldfinch do not vary much seasonally.

Attracting Lesser Goldfinch to Backyards

The Lesser Goldfinch prefers hanging feeders, but I have observed them feeding off of the ground. They devour sunflower and niger seeds. Provide them with these oily seeds, and they will come.

Description

The Lesser Goldfinch is the smallest of the finches found in Santa Clara County. The male has a black crown that ranges from the upper beak and over the forehead and ends just above the nape (the back of the neck). Both sexes have a white patch at the base of their primaries. When perched, this white base regularly appears as a small white rectangle, but sometimes it is inconspicuous. The adult male also has a white patch at the base of its primaries. When perched, this white base often appears as a small white rectangle, but sometimes it is inconspicuous.

Distribution

Lesser Goldfinches are on the west coast of the U.S. all year. Their northern limit is southwest Washington. They occur in much of Mexico, Central America, and various areas in northern South America. During breeding season some migrate into Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico. The migrations of this species have not been well studied.

Similar Species

The two local species that look somewhat alike are the American Goldfinch and Lawrence’s Goldfinch. The Pine Siskin has a similar body and beak shape, but it has conspicuous streaking on its lower parts, something that the other three Spinus species lack.

The belly of Lawrence’s Goldfinch is gray. The belly of the male Lesser Goldfinch is yellow and pale yellow-green on females and juveniles. Lawrence's Goldfinch has yellow wing bars and the wing bars of the Lesser Goldfinch are white. Also, recall that Lesser Goldfinches have white outer primaries which usually form a visible, small white rectangle on the wing, a feature that the other Spinus species do not have.

Male American Goldfinch. Note that the black cap ends at the top of the head and the white under-tail coverts. Dave Zittin

The breeding American Goldfinch male has a bright yellow, not olive-yellow back and a black crown ends at the top of the head rather than extending over the head and down to the nape. The females of the Lesser Goldfinch and the American Goldfinch look similar, but the Lesser Goldfinch female has indistinct wing bars and the under-tail coverts are typically yellowish. The American Goldfinch female has darker colored wings with obvious wing bars and its under-tail coverts are white.

Explore

Photos of west coast Lesser Goldfinches:

Photos of American Goldfinch and Lawrence’s Goldfinch for comparison:

Sounds:

  • The Lesser Goldfinch has various songs and calls, but here is one call I often hear in Santa Clara County. Note the plaintive whistle quality.

  • Allaboutbirds.org has additional Lesser Goldfinch sounds.

More Backyard Bird Information

Tell us what you’re seeing in your yard! Send your notes, photos, and sound clips to backyardbirds@scvas.org. We’ll feature your submittals on our website.

Banner Photo: Lesser Goldfinch by Hita Bambhania-Modha