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Washington State Bird
American Goldfinch
- Official Washington State Bird Name: Willow 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 goldfinch is a delicate little bird with a yellow body and black wings,
and although it eventually became the official Washington State Bird, many other birds were
considered for the title. In 1928, legislators let school children select the
state bird and the meadowlark won hands-down. It was a nice choice but seven
other states already had chosen the same bird.
A new vote was taken in 1931 by
the Washington Federation of Women's Clubs. Many birds were nominated, but the
goldfinch won handily over the tanager, Song Sparrow, junco and Pileated Woodpecker. Now there were two state birds and the Legislature decided to leave
the final choice to school children. In 1951, children voted for the goldfinch
and the Legislature made it unanimous, the Willow Goldfinch was the official
Washington State Bird.
The American Goldfinch is the State Bird of two other States besides
Washington:
Go
to
Iowa
State Bird or
New
Jersey
State Bird.
Washington State Bird Books
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