Golden Finch
Facts About The Golden Finch That You May Not Know
The golden finch is a beautiful bird that is part of the bird family known as “fringillidae.” The family name comes from the Latin word, “fringilla,” which means chaffinch, which is a bird often found in European countries. Finches live in all parts of the world except Australia. The golden finches in England are not quite the same color as the ones in the United States.
A Golden Finch is around four to five inches high and it has a wingspan of approximately eight to ten inches. That puts it right on the edge of the medium-sized bird category. It weighs in the range of 20 grams. Overall, the golden finch is part of a species which has more than one thousand different members. All finches are useful birds which feed on seeds, even those of weeds.
The Golden Finch has many relatives outside of the finch family itself. These include grosbeaks, cardinals, buntings and towhees. Among the most well-known finches are the purple finch, the golden finch and the zebra finch. In America, wild golden finches are called goldfinches. They are common across all of North America and live everywhere from in the forests and orchards to backyard gardens.
Wild golden finch migrate in the winter and are present at birdfeeders. Only the males have bright yellow feathers, and in the winter both the male and females are often not recognized because of their faded colors.
The golden finch is unique because it doesn’t breed until much later than other finches. It is often late June or early July before nest building begins. These finches only have time to produce a single brood in a year, unlike some birds who have it timed to raise two broods. The golden finch, also unlike many other birds, does not consume additional insects while they are breeding. They seem to obtain enough protein for themselves and their young from an almost entirely seed diet.
This member of the finch family is also the only one to undergo two moltings every year. Experts believe that this might be one of the reasons the bird breeds so late in the spring season. The yellow in the bird’s summer coat comes from the carotenoid pigments which it gets from the selection of plants it chooses for its diet.
The song of the golden finch is a collection of warbles and twitters. The female is often heard calling the male when she is sitting on her nest of eggs. Very young golden finches have a call that sounds similar to that of the chickadee but this early call has disappeared by the time the young leave the nest.
The golden finch is very adaptable and not at all afraid of living close to humans. It even finds its way into suburbs and cities although there it is more dependent on birdfeeders for the seeds it needs to live. Just about any feeder with seeds will eventually attract one of these wonderful birds.