Both Lesser Goldfinches and American Goldfinches are finches native to North America. These birds are common visitors to backyard bird feeders, so knowing how to distinguish a Lesser Goldfinch vs American Goldfinch is an important skill for backyard birders.
This article will go in-depth as we explore the differences between an American Goldfinch vs Lesser Goldfinch. Let’s take a look!
Table of Contents
Identifying Traits
Those who have minimal experience with these two species may struggle to differentiate an American Goldfinch vs Lesser Goldfinch. Fortunately, there are plenty of subtle traits that can be used to distinguish these similar songbirds, and it’s easy to notice a difference between goldfinch and Lesser Goldfinch males.
Male Lesser Goldfinch Identification
Male Lesser Goldfinches may be quite variable depending on where they’re found. Lesser Goldfinch males east of the Rocky Mountains tend to have black backs, subtle white wing patches, and captivating yellow undersides.
Meanwhile, males west of the Rocky Mountains typically have black caps, green necks and backs, black wings, and lemon-yellow undersides. In any case, a Lesser Goldfinch male and female don’t look very similar to one another.
Male American Goldfinch Identification
American Goldfinch males are a bold yellow coloration with black foreheads and wings. Moreover, these birds have white undertail coverts. In the nonbreeding season, males lose their electric yellow color. Instead, males have pale yellow faces and throats along with drab green bodies and dark wings.
Female Lesser Goldfinch Identification
A female Lesser Goldfinch looks quite similar to its American Goldfinch female counterpart. These birds have drab green backs and heads, dark wings, and yellow undersides.
Female American Goldfinch Identification
Female American Goldfinches are yellow below with green heads and backs. Additionally, these birds have dark wings and white undertail coverts. They aren’t quite as bold as males, and they lack any yellow in their nonbreeding plumage. The white undertail coverts are a primary distinction between American vs Lesser Goldfinch females.
American Goldfinch Vs. Lesser Goldfinch Size
Both American Goldfinches and Lesser Goldfinches are tiny birds. However, American Goldfinches are noticeably larger than their Lesser counterparts.
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- American Goldfinch Size: 4.25 to 5 inches
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- Lesser Goldfinch Size: 3.5 to 4.25 inches
Distribution
American Goldfinches are aptly named, being distributed throughout the entirety of the lower 48 states. Lesser Goldfinches also have an extensive distribution. These birds are found as far north as Washington state and as far south as Peru. However, Lesser Goldfinches aren’t nearly as widespread in the United States. Becoming familiar with the ranges of these birds can aid in Lesser Goldfinch vs American Goldfinch identification.
Lesser Goldfinch Distribution
Lesser Goldfinches are common summer residents throughout much of the American West. States like Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Idaho have Lesser Goldfinches during the summer. However, they travel to places such as California, Arizona, Texas, and Mexico to spend the winter.
American Goldfinch Distribution
American Goldfinches undergo seasonal movements as well. These birds can be found in much of southern Canada during summer, but they leave for milder locations in the winter. American Goldfinches can be found year-round throughout the Midwest save for places like North Dakota. Arizona, California, New Mexico, Florida, and most of Texas do not have American Goldfinches during summer. However, these finches travel to these states to spend the winter months.
Nesting
Unsurprisingly, the nesting habits of a Lesser Goldfinch vs American Goldfinch are quite similar. Let’s examine the breeding ecology of these two goldfinches.
American Goldfinch Nesting Habits
Male and female American Goldfinches each have input in nest site selection. Although the pair works in tandem to select the nest, it is typical American Goldfinch behavior for the female to ultimately end up constructing the nest. American Goldfinches typically situate their nest in a young tree or a shrub.
Females create cup-shaped nests from materials such as grasses, plant down, and roots. Nests are bound together using spider web silk.
American Goldfinch Eggs
A female American Goldfinch can produce as many as two broods of eggs per year. Each clutch of American Goldfinch eggs has between 2 to 7, and it takes about two weeks for the eggs to hatch. The nestlings may remain in the nest for a while, as it can take as many as 17 days for them to depart. American Goldfinches are often one of the last songbirds to lay their eggs in the summer.
Lesser Goldfinch Nesting Habits
Lesser Goldfinches select similar nesting locations to the ones used by American Goldfinches. Young trees or shrubs are an ideal location for a nest in the eyes of this species. However, Lesser Goldfinches do things differently compared to American Goldfinch nesting habits.
Rather than a Lesser Goldfinch male and female having a say in choosing the nest location, the female Lesser Goldfinch is the only one to have input in nest site selection. This is a key difference between goldfinch and Lesser Goldfinch nesting habits.
A Lesser Goldfinch nest is built without assistance from the male following the selection of a suitable site. A cup-shaped nest is constructed using grasses, leaves, tree bark, and other plant fibers. Females then use spiderwebs to hold the nest together. The interior of a Lesser Goldfinch nest is often lined with feathers and mammal hair.
Lesser Goldfinch Eggs
Female Lesser Goldfinches produce a single brood of eggs every year, with each clutch containing as many as 6 eggs. The eggs hatch in two weeks or less, and the young leave the nest in about 13 days.
Behavior
These two goldfinch species have many similar tendencies, but there are aspects of American Goldfinch vs Lesser Goldfinch behavior that are different.
Lesser Goldfinch Behavior
Lesser Goldfinches are social birds, frequently forming large flocks and foraging together during the nonbreeding season. Male Lesser Goldfinches establish a territory during the breeding season by vocalizing from trees within the territory. Males pursue females that enter the space and eventually form a pair bond with an individual.
Although male Lesser Goldfinches do not help with nest construction, they do feed females when they’re incubating eggs. Lesser Goldfinches pump their tails when they forage – a tendency that can help with American vs Lesser Goldfinch identification, as American Goldfinches don’t do this.
American Goldfinch Behavior
American Goldfinches are gregarious like Lesser Goldfinches, so this aspect of behavior is not helpful in the American Goldfinch vs Lesser Goldfinch debate. These birds frequently travel in groups during the nonbreeding season as they seek food sources. Males and females form a pair bond during spring, but they hold off on laying eggs until summer when their favorite foods are going to seed.
American Goldfinch behavior is that of a talkative, acrobatic feeder. They are frequently seen dangling from seed heads. These finches are regulars at bird feeders, but they are quite submissive compared to other species. Species such as House Sparrows as well as starlings and grackles are far more aggressive.
Lesser Goldfinch Vs American Goldfinch Lifespan
Neither American Goldfinches nor Lesser Goldfinches are particularly long-lived. Both of these songbirds are near the bottom of the food chain, and they are frequently targeted by raptors like hawks and mammalian predators.
Both species can live for more than 10 years if they manage to survive in the wild, but such instances of long goldfinch lifespan are rare.
Lesser Goldfinch Vs American Goldfinch Diet
Those familiar with an American and Lesser Goldfinch diet will know that they almost exclusively eat seeds. Whereas most birds provide their young with protein of some sort, goldfinches are steadfast in their commitment to seed consumption.
Baby goldfinches eat seeds immediately upon hatching, and they maintain this diet throughout their lives. The diets of goldfinches make them one of the few small songbird species that can withstand cowbird parasitism. Baby cowbirds raised in a goldfinch nest will only survive for a few days, as the diet of seeds slowly kills the birds.
Goldfinches enjoy eating seeds from plants like thistles, sunflowers, alders, birch trees, and more. These birds will readily consume seeds from bird feeders.
However, not any seeds will do. Mixes that are mostly milo, millet, and/or cracked corn won’t be eaten by many birds other than House Sparrows and House Finches. Instead, set out thistle, nyjer, and sunflower seeds for finches.
Ultimately, there is little difference between the diets of a Lesser Goldfinch vs American Goldfinch.
Lesser Goldfinch Vs American Goldfinch Population
American Goldfinches and Lesser Goldfinches both have substantial populations. Nevertheless, American Goldfinch numbers have declined in the past half century by more than 25%. Still, these birds have a total population of around 45 million.
Lesser Goldfinch populations have seemingly been stable. These finches have a total population of around 15 million.