In the 1920s, the General Federation of Women’s Clubs had an idea. They thought that every state in America should name an official state bird. The states agreed, and, in 1927, seven of them did so. The rest would follow in the decades ahead. Being a state that champions the environment as frequently and passionately as we do, you might think that our great State of Washington would have been one of those first seven states. Unfortunately, we weren’t. It took until 1951 for Washington to name an official state bird. But even though we were late to the party, we chose well. We selected the Willow Goldfinch, which is the Pacific Coast subspecies of the American Goldfinch. We may have been inspired by New Jersey, who had already selected the Eastern Goldfinch, which is the Eastern subspecies of the American Goldfinch to be their official state bird in 1927. Iowa followed suit in 1933.
Since the American Goldfinches you are most likely going to see here in the Pacific Northwest are Willow Goldfinches (the Pacific Coast subspecies), we will use the term “Willow Goldfinch” for the remainder of this post to describe this beautiful bird species. With that said, it should be noted that most references to the “Willow Goldfinch” that you will find online refer to it as the “American Goldfinch”, and don’t make the distinction between the main species and the two subspecies.
The Willow Goldfinch (Scientific Name: Spinus tristis) is a golden bird that is found in all corners of our great state. You will often see it in flocks in trees, bushes, and fields. While you can see Willow Goldfinches throughout the year, a sight that is common in the summer months is a male Willow Goldfinch flying across a meadow in a flash of gold in the bright sunshine, making birdcalls as it bounces (according to Cornell University’s All About Birds website, Willow Goldfinches have a “bouncy undulating” flight pattern) up and down in flight. In the winter months, when males and females are both colored in a more subtle shade of brown, flocks of goldfinches make their way to weedy fields and bird feeders to gather and make plaintive and musical calls. The Willow Goldfinch lives in semi-open areas having some weedy ground, but also trees and bushes for shelter. They particularly like second growth areas. Their primary natural habitats are floodplains and weedy fields. They also take up residence in backyards, particularly those with bird feeders. Additionally, Willow Goldfinches make their homes in orchards and along the sides of roads.
Willow Goldfinches mostly eat seeds. They actively forage for them in weeds, trees, and shrubs, routinely climbing plants, particularly thistles, in an acrobatic manner to reach the seeds. They also like coming to bird feeders to get their fill of smaller seeds. Additionally, Willow Goldfinches eat buds, maple sap, some insects, and the bark of young twigs. Young Willow Goldfinches are fed what the Audubon Society describes as “regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds.” The adults typically forage in flocks except during their breeding seasons.
The nesting season for Willow Goldfinches is later in the year than it is for most birds. Most nesting activity takes place during the summer months. In courtship, the males perform fluttering flight displays while singing. The female builds the nest. It is usually located in a deciduous shrub or tree, although it can also be in a conifer or a densely weeded area. The nest is normally less than thirty feet above the ground, and is placed in a horizontal position. The nest, according to the Audubon Society, is a solid, “compact cup” of spider webs, plant down (particularly from thistles), and plant fibers. It is normally made so well that it may even be able to hold water.
Willow Goldfinches typically lay between four and six eggs. The eggs are pale bluish white in color. Sometimes, they have light brown spots on them. Incubation is handled exclusively by the female, and the process takes twelve to fourteen days to complete. The male feeds the female during this period. After the nestlings hatch, both parents work to feed them. At first the male brings the food to the nest, and the female gives it to the nestlings. Later, the roles reverse so that the male provides most of the food in the nestlings’ later stages of development. The young leave the nest about eleven to seventeen days after hatching.
Male Willow Goldfinches change their appearance throughout the year. In the spring and summer months, they are typically bright yellow and shiny black in color with a little bit of white thrown in. In the fall and winter months, they take on grayish yellow colors to resemble females. Female Willow Goldfinches retain the grayish yellow colors throughout the year. When birds of either sex are molting, which they do twice annually, they have a patchy appearance. Female and young Willow Goldfinches can be identified by their wing bars, notched tail, solid-color breast and back, and what Audubon Washington describes as their “stubby finch bill.”
Willow Goldfinches are members of the Passeriformes order of species. They are also part of the Fringillidae family. Members of both sexes weigh 0.4 to 0.7 ounces (11 to 20 grams), and are 4.3 to 5.1 inches (11 to 13 centimeters) long. They have a wingspan of 7.5 to 8.7 inches (19 to 22 centimeters). They are typically no larger than the size of a sparrow.
If you want Willow Goldfinches to take up residence in your backyard, try planting native thistles and other composite plants. Additionally, consider planting some native milkweed. Almost any kind of bird feeder will attract these birds, including hopper, hanging, and platform feeders. They don’t mind feeders that sway in the wind, so you don’t need to worry about that when selecting a feeder. Willow Goldfinches are also happy to feed on the ground below bird feeders, eating seeds that have spilled out. They are most attracted to sunflower seeds and nyjer. To guard against contagious diseases, the feeders should be kept clean and the ground around them should be well-raked.
References
- https://wa.audubon.org/washington-state-bird#:~:text=The%20American%20Goldfinch%20was%20designated,in%20fields%2C%20bushes%20and%20trees.&text=The%20male%20American%20Goldfinch%20is,black%20cap%20and%20black%20wings.
- https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-goldfinch
- https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/overview
- https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/id
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_birds
- https://www.audubon.org/news/birdist-rule-97-get-know-your-goldfinches
© Ian D. Caldwell, April 2021