Description
Lesser Goldfinches are small finches with short, forked tails and conical beaks.
These birds are tiny, measuring 3.5 to 4.25 inches long and weighing 0.3 to 0.4 ounces.
Male Lesser Goldfinches can vary in their appearance, with some males having black backs and others having green backs. All males have black caps, yellow undersides, and black wings with white wing patches.
Female Lesser Goldfinches are dull green-brown finches with dark wings that have two pale wingbars. Females often have yellow throats.
Differentiating between female Lesser Goldfinches and female American Goldfinches can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are some tips that can be used to tell the two species apart.
Immature Lesser Goldfinches look similar to adult females.
Behavior
Naturally sociable, individual Lesser Goldfinches enjoy gathering into sizable groups. No matter the activity in which a Lesser Goldfinch is participating, it is likely to be pumping its tail.
Diet
Lesser Goldfinches eat a variable diet consisting largely of seeds, but this species also consumes fruits, buds, and insects. Watch for these birds to be foraging in groups.
Habitat
Lesser Goldfinches can be found wherever there are seeds. Look for these birds in overgrown ditches, neighborhood treetops, and residential parks.
Range
Lesser Goldfinches are found throughout many of the states west of the Rocky Mountains, while their range extends down in southern Texas and throughout Mexico and Central America.
In the breeding season, some Lesser Goldfinches travel to Utah, Colorado, and Nevada to reproduce, while this species is a year-round resident throughout the majority of its remaining range.
Breeding
These finches are seemingly socially monogamous, with birds finding new mates each breeding season.
Female Lesser Goldfinches handle most of the nest responsibilities. They select a nest site and begin construction of the nest without assistance from the male. Nests are placed along a branch in a shrub or tree.
It takes anywhere from 4 to 8 days for a female Lesser Goldfinch to complete her nest. Females build nests out of leaves, grasses, and plant fibers, while nests are often anchored together with silk from spider webs.
Female Lesser Goldfinches produce a single brood of eggs each year, with clutches having 3 to 6 eggs. It takes 12 to 13 days for the young to hatch from the eggs, while nestlings leave the nest 2 weeks after hatching. Males bring food to females while they incubate the eggs.
Backyard Birding
Lesser Goldfinches can easily be attracted to a yard by offering their favorite bird seeds.
Make sure that you have plenty of shrubs and trees planted throughout your yard if you hope to host a breeding pair. Additionally, know that Lesser Goldfinches do not nest in birdhouses.
Population Status
Lesser Goldfinch populations have been fairly stable in the past half-century, with around 15 million Lesser Goldfinches in existence today.
