Lesser Goldfinch

Overview

Lesser Goldfinch: Small finch with dark back (black in the east, dark green in the west), black crown, bright yellow underparts. Wings, tail black with white markings. Forages in shrubs, brush, weedy fields for seeds and insects. Swift flight, alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

Range and Habitat

Lesser Goldfinch: Resident from Washington, Oregon, and northern Nevada east to northern Colorado and Texas, and south beyond the U.S.-Mexico border. Eastern race is found from northern Colorado southward through Texas and westward to Utah and Arizona. Western race occurs from Utah westward to Columbia River. Preferred habitats include oak savannas and woodlands.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Lesser Goldfinch was first described in 1823 by Thomas Say, an American naturalist.
Males are markedly polymorphic and 5 subspecies are often named; at least 2 of them seem to represent a less-progressed stage in evolution.
Their molt shows a broad zone of intergradation, with the molting period, timing, and pattern varying depending on geographical location.
A group of goldfinches has many collective nouns, including a " 007", "charm", "rush", "treasury", and "vein" of goldfinches.

The Lesser Goldfinch is a terrestrial bird species that is native to North America as well s countries in Central America and South America. This bird is considered to be regionally extinct in Cuba. The range of this bird is almost 4 million square kilometers. The population of the Lesser Goldfinch is about 3 million square kilometers. This bird species is currently rated as Least Concern. The prior rating for the Lesser Goldfinch was Lower Risk. At this time there are not any immediate concerns regarding the population or the range of the Lesser Goldfinch.