font settings and languages

Font Size: Large | Normal | Small
Font Face: Verdana | Geneva | Georgia
Languages:

Carduelis tristis

(Black-Winged Yellow Bird)

Interesting Facts

[ Back to top ]

Common Names

[ Back to top ]

Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in English:

American Goldfinch, Beet-Bird, Black-Winged Yellow Bird, California Goldfinch, Catnip-Bird, Common Goldfinch, Eastern Goldfinch, Lettuce Bird, Lettuce-Bird, Northwestern Goldfinch, Pale Goldfinch, Salad-Bird, Shiner, Thistle Bird, Thistle-Bird, Western Goldfinch, Wild Canary, Willow Goldfinch, Yellow Goldfinch, Yellow-Bird, Yellowbird

Common Names in French:

Chardonneret Jaune

Common Names in German:

Goldzeisig

Common Names in Japanese:

オウゴンヒワ

Common Names in Spanish:

Jilguero Canario

Description

[ Back to top ]

Physical Description

Adult Summer Female: Body: Underparts: pale yellow Upperparts: olive.Adult Summer Male: Head : Cap: black Body: Back: bright yellow Tail: black.

Size/Age/Growth

A small finch, 13 cm (5 in) from tip of bill to tip of tail, with a wingspan of 8.75 to 9 inches. Adults weigh about 0.5 ounces .

Habitat

Vegetation: arid lowland scrubs, second-growth scrub, tropical lowland evergreen forest, second-growth forests and woodlands, gallery forests • Maximum Elevation: 1,800 meters • Sensitivity to Disturbancet: Low

Ecology: List of Habitats : 1.4 Forest - Temperate

Biology

[ Back to top ]

Diet

Primarily: Seeds. Lesser Quantities of: Insects

Reproduction

The short breeding season begins in July and lasts until mid-September. Breeding habitat is typically weedy fields with shrubs , but the Goldfinch will sometimes nest in open woodlands. The female builds a cup-shaped nest less than 1-10 m (1-30 ft ) above ground in a shrubby plant or coniferous tree . The female lays 4 - 6 pale blue eggs , which she incubates for 12-14 days. The male feeds the female on the nest. When the eggs hatch , the female feeds the young regurgitated seeds. Nestlings are altricial and fledge after about 15 days. The parents continue to feed the begging fledglings for up to 3 more weeks. Some females are sequentially polyandrous . After the first brood hatches, the female leaves the brood in care of their father and finds another male for a second nesting attempt.

Migration

Migratory

Behavior

During the winter, the American Goldfinch migrates. This species often forms large foraging flocks, sometimes with other species, including Chickadees, siskins, and other finches. Preferred foraging areas include weedy and cultivated fields , orchards, and flood plains . The Goldfinch forages mainly on seeds of thistle and other many-seeded flowers, grasses, and deciduous trees . Predators include snakes , birds, cats, and squirrels. The Brown-headed Cowbird sometimes lays one egg in the Goldfinch nest , which reduces Goldfinch clutch size. Although the Cowbird egg usually hatches, the Cowbird nestling usually does not survive, probably because it is not well suited for the diet of seeds.

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001.

Similar Species

[ Back to top ]

Yellow Warbler, Lesser Goldfinch

Members of the genus Carduelis

There are approximately 140 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

C. ambigua (Black-Headed Greenfinch) · C. ambigua ambigua (Black-Headed Greenfinch) · C. atrata (Black Siskin) · C. atriceps (Black-Capped Siskin) · C. barbata (Black-Chinned Siskin) · C. barbatus · C. cabaret · C. caniceps · C. cannabina (Eurasian Linnet) · C. cannabina autochthona · C. cannabina bella · C. cannabina cannabina (Eurasian Linnet) · C. cannabina harterti · C. cannabina meadewaldoi · C. cannabina mediterranea · C. cannabina x · C. carduelis (Eurasian Goldfinch) · C. carduelis balcanica · C. carduelis britannica · C. carduelis brittanica · C. carduelis caniceps · C. carduelis carduelis (Eurasian Goldfinch) · C. carduelis elegan · C. carduelis loudoni · C. carduelis major · C. carduelis niediecki · C. carduelis paropanisi · C. carduelis parva · C. carduelis propeparva · C. carduelis schiebeli · C. carduelis ssp · C. carduelis subulata · C. carduelis tschusii · C. carduelis volgensis · C. carduellis · C. carduellis balcanica · C. carduellis rumaniae · C. chloris (European Greenfinch) · C. chloris aurantiiventris · C. chloris chlorotica · C. chloris harrisoni · C. chloris turkestanika · C. chloris vanmarli · C. chloris voousi · C. chloris x · C. citrinella · C. citrinella citrinella · C. citrinella corsicana · C. corsicana · C. crassirostris (Thick-Billed Siskin) · C. crassirostris amadoni · C. crassirostris crassirostris (Thick-Billed Siskin) · C. cucullata (Red Siskin) · C. deichleri · C. dominicensis (Antillean Siskin) · C. flammea (Common Redpoll) · C. flammea cabaret (Common Redpoll) · C. flammea carbaret · C. flammea exilipes · C. flammea flammea · C. flammea holboellii · C. flammea hornemanni · C. flammea rostrata · C. flavirostris (Twite) · C. flavirostris brevirostris · C. flavirostris flavirostris (Twite) · C. flavirostris miniakensis · C. flavirostris pipilans · C. flavirostris rufostrigata · C. hornemanni (Hoary Redpoll) · C. hornemanni exilipes · C. hornemanni hornemanni (Hoary Redpoll) · C. johannis (Warsangli Linnet) · C. lawrencei (Lawrence's Goldfinch) · C. lawrencii · C. linaria · C. magellanica (Hooded Siskin) · C. magellanica alleni · C. magellanica boliviana · C. magellanica capitalis · C. magellanica hoyi · C. magellanica icterica · C. magellanica ictericus · C. magellanica magellanica (Hooded Siskin) · C. magellanica paula · C. magellanica peruana · C. magellanica urubambensis · C. magellanicus · C. monguilloti (Vietnamese Greenfinch) · C. nipalensis · C. notata (Black-Headed Siskin) · C. notata forreri · C. notata notata (Black-Headed Siskin) · C. notata oleacea · C. olivacea (Olivaceous Siskin) · C. orientalis · C. pinus (Northern Canary Bird) · C. pinus macroptera · C. pinus perplexa · C. pinus pinus (Northern Canary Bird)

More Info

[ Back to top ]

Further Reading

[ Back to top ]

Notes

[ Back to top ]

Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 17, 2008:

Identifiers

Last Revised: 2009-06-19