• Goldfinches are sometimes referred to as wild canaries.  They are actually in the finch family-just as their name suggests.
• They have an interesting flight call with four syllables that can be likened to “potato chip”.
• They are common feeder visitors that prefer thistle (nyjer seed) and sunflowers.  They are rather acrobatic, and often dip upside down feeding on weed seeds like sunflowers and coneflowers.  Goldfinches will hang upside down to eat, but experiments with specially designed feeders have shown that they prefer to dine upright if possible.
• Goldfinches usually lay 5 pale-blue or greenish-blue eggs that will hatch in about 12 days.  Babies will fledge about 12 days after hatching.  An interesting side note is that  the nest cleaning is ceased about a week after the babies hatch.
• Goldfinches don winter clothes: the dull green coat of feathers grown each fall has an especially dense layer of soft, plumaceous feathers to provide extra insulation.CLICK ON THE YELLOW FEEDER BELOW For MORE INFORMATION:

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