Spinus tristis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada–United States border to Mexico during the winter.
The only finch in its subfamily to undergo a complete molt, the American goldfinch displays sexual dichromatism: the male is a vibrant yellow in the summer and an olive color during the winter, while the female is a dull yellow-brown shade which brightens only slightly during the summer. The male displays brightly colored plumage during the breeding season to attract a mate.
The American goldfinch is a granivore and adapted for the consumption of seedheads, with a conical beak to remove the seeds and agile feet to grip the stems of seedheads while feeding. It is a social bird and will gather in large flocks while feeding and migrating. It may behave territorially during nest construction, but this aggression is short-lived. Its breeding season is tied to the peak of food supply, beginning in late July, which is relatively late in the year for a finch. This species is generally monogamous and produces one brood each year.
Human activity has generally benefited the American goldfinch. It is often found in residential areas because it is attracted to bird feeders, which increase its survival rate in these areas. Deforestation also creates open meadow areas, which are its preferred habitat. Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Burgers' Ocean | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 4 | Royal Burgers' Zoo | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Goldfinch sighting in Dallas on a given day, based on 1,101 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 44th most-seen of the 253 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December and January
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report an American Goldfinch in Dallas on a given day, against under 5% in May to October, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Goldfinch sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
20th of 30
Of the 30 cities where we can rate American Goldfinch sightings, Dallas ranks 20th at about 10%. The best odds are in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 70%), Montreal (Canada, about 70%) and Toronto (Canada, about 60%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Goldfinch is recorded against all the birds logged in Dallas (1,101 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
