American Goldfinch
Photo: Rodney Campbell · CC BY 2.0

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

American Goldfinch

Spinus tristis

LCLeast Concern
Family
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies (Fringillidae)
Order
Passeriformes

Overview

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.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.