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)