How to Identify a Goldfinch

The goldfinch is a small yellow bird that is found throughout North America. Goldfinches gather in small groups in overgrown farm fields, and use thickets of tree limbs for low-lying nests.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Binoculars

1. Identify a male goldfinch based on the color of his feathers. Males of the species have bright yellow heads and chests, with black feathers stretching from middle of their backs down to the tips of their tails.
2. Observe the olive green crown and chest that is unique to the female goldfinch. You might need binoculars to spot these features, though, since female goldfinches do share the black wings of the male goldfinch.
3. Keep your ears open for the goldfinch's distinctive call. Goldfinches use a warbling sound, sustained for several seconds, to ward off predators and communicate with other goldfinches.
4. Watch your calendar, if you live in the Southwest or Great Plains region. Goldfinches head to these areas during the winter to gather food and avoid the cold winter weather found in the Northeast and Midwest.
5. Pick through bushes and leaves on your property to find feathers left behind by a male goldfinch. You can identify a male goldfinch by looking at changes in feather brightness after molting.
6. Focus on the beak to differentiate a goldfinch from other birds. The goldfinch has a pink beak, shaped like a cone, designed to draw out worms and bits of food from grassy areas. It is distinctive and often used by veteran bird-watchers to identify a goldfinch.
7. Cut a wooden ruler in half and mount it on your bird feeder. Goldfinches grow up to 6-inches long, and a half-ruler allows you to identify a goldfinch by size from the interior of your home.
8. Identify a goldfinch by comparing the tail sizes of birds in your yard. Goldfinches have a small tail with a sharp point that is significantly shorter than the tails of other North American birds.

Tips & Warnings

• Watch the mating and social habits of a goldfinch to identify the bird by gender. Male goldfinches are monogamous and stay around the nest to care for baby birds. Female goldfinches mate with several males during the year to create a diverse brood of juvenile finches.