Iowa State Bird
American Goldfinch

Official Iowa State Bird Name: Eastern Goldfinch
American Ornithologists' Union Common Name: American Goldfinch
Family: Fringillidae, Finches
Scientific name: Carduelis tristis
Length: 5" (13 cm)
Diet: Insects, seeds of deciduous trees, forbs (especially composites), grass, floral buds, berries. Young fed regurgitant of milky seed pulp; few insects.
Voice: Listen to American Goldfinch Song (recorded by Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Song high, musical, rapidly repeated phrases toWEE toWEE toWeeto tweer tweer tweer ti ti ti ti. Call a thin, wiry toweeeowee or tweee; also a soft tihoo and variations. Flight call a soft, whistled, descending series ti di di di.
Habitat: Weedy fields, open second-growth woodlands, roadsides, especially in thistles, sunflowers.
Displays: Male song-flight on level (rather than typical undulating) flight, rapidly flapping wings.
Number of broods: 1, occasionally 2
Nest: In branch fork, often woven so tightly that nest holds water; of forbs, other pliable vegetation, lined with plant down. Caterpillar webbing and spider silk often used to bind outer rim.
Eggs: Averages 4-6 pale blue or bluish-white, unmarked eggs. 0.6" (16 mm).
Incubation period: 10-12 days
Fledge: 11-17 days after hatching
Longevity Record: 10 Years and 5 months (according to USGS Bird Banding Lab)

In 1933 the Iowa Legislature declared the Eastern Goldfinch the official Iowa state bird. It was chosen because it is commonly seen in Iowa and often stays through the winter.

The American Goldfinch is the State Bird of two other States besides Iowa:
Go to New Jersey State Bird or Washington State Bird.

Iowa State Bird Books