New Jersey State Bird
American Goldfinch

• Official New Jersey 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 varitations. 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)

The Eastern Goldfinch was officially named the New Jersey State bird in 1913.

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

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