American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
Fringillidae
New Jersey's state bird. Males in summer are dazzling — brilliant lemon-yellow with black wings and cap; in winter, both sexes fade to a subtle olive-tan. Goldfinches are the only NJ finch to molt completely twice a year and one of the very few songbirds that raise their young almost exclusively on seeds rather than insects.
How to spot one.
Small songbird — about the size of a sparrow
Male in summer: brilliant yellow with black cap, black-and-white wings
Male in winter and female year-round: soft olive-tan overall with wing bars
Bright orange conical bill during breeding season
Bouncy, roller-coaster flight with a musical 'per-chick-o-ree' call at each dip
What it sounds like.
A cheerful, canary-like warble; flight call is a distinctive four-note 'potato-chip! potato-chip!'
How it lives.
Late-nesting — breeds in July and August, timed to when native thistles and other composites go to seed. Uses thistle down and milkweed silk as nest lining. Highly social; often feeds in flocks on seed heads.
The spec sheet.
- Status
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 4.3–5.1 inches
- Present in NJ
- Year-round
- Native to NJ
- Yes
- Conservation status
- stable
- Family
- Fringillidae
What it eats.
Diet often shifts dramatically between breeding season and the rest of the year — especially for insectivorous birds that pivot to native berries in fall and winter.
Summer / breeding season
Seeds of native thistles, coneflowers, sunflowers, coreopsis
Alder and birch catkins
A small amount of aphids and other soft-bodied insects
Milkweed silk gathered as nesting material
Fall / winter
Nyjer (thistle) and black-oil sunflower at feeders
Seed heads of goldenrod, black-eyed Susan, coneflower left standing
Alder, birch, and hemlock cones
What it needs.
Native plants that feed this bird or provide shelter. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.
Seed source
Seed source
Seed source
Seed source
Native thistles (Cirsium)
Seed source
Milkweeds (Asclepias)
Nesting material
All About Birds (Cornell) · Audubon Field Guide
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