Spinus lawrencei
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
Lawrence's goldfinch (Spinus lawrencei) is a small songbird of erratic distribution that breeds in California and Baja California and winters in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. At about 4.75 in (12.1 cm) long and weighing about 0.4 oz (11 g), it is slightly bigger than the lesser goldfinch and slightly smaller than the American goldfinch, with less yellow in the plumage than either. Adults of both sexes are gray with pink to grayish flesh-color bills, stubbier than other goldfinches'. They have yellow rumps and paired yellowish wing-bars, as well as yellow edges on the flight feathers and yellow on the breast. The tail is black, crossed by a white band. Plumage is duller in winter, brightening after a spring molt. Males are paler, with black caps and faces and larger areas of brighter yellow. Females are browner, have less and duller yellow, and lack the black. Juveniles resemble females but are even duller and have faint streaks on the upperparts and especially the underparts.
Calls include "a nasal too-err, also a sharp, high PIti and Itititi". The flight call, which is diagnostic, is given as "a high, clear ti-too" or tink-ul "reminiscent of... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lawrence's Goldfinch sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 47 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 112th most-seen of the 141 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lawrence's Goldfinch in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lawrence's Goldfinch sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Lawrence's Goldfinch sightings, Joshua Tree National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 10%) and Yosemite National Park (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lawrence's Goldfinch is recorded against all the birds logged in Joshua Tree National Park (47 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
