Winter Finches

The other day, while stuck at home with my daughter (who had a most unexpected case of chicken pox), I watched an American Goldfinch perched in a little tree outside our window.

At first (this just goes to show that even experienced birders are susceptible) I wanted to think that it was the oriole that has been hanging around Sharon, but on closer examination it was clearly a male goldfinch in winter plumage.

I spent a good long time studying it while it obligingly sat still, and I recommend to anyone interested in honing their birding skills to do the same. Learning the appearance of goldinches in winter is very useful for ruling them out when suspecting a less common species.

Male goldfinches in winter look much different than they do in spring and summer. They lack the bright yellow body coloration and the black cap. But they retain their largely black wings, with wide white wingbars and much white edging on the wings and tail. The bill is short, conical, and pinkish. The male has rich (if not brilliant) yellow coloration, particularly around the throat and face, while the female is more grayish. The tail is fairly short and notched.

If none of that convinces you, listen as it takes to the air. Goldinches often call in flight, an easy learned, pleasant, four-note per-chick-o-ree.