Bird of the Day: American Goldfinch

There are a number of reasons why I decided to take on this project. My first reason has to do with my interest in birds. This began shortly after moving to Victoria ten and a half years ago. With our house backing onto a wooded area, the chirping of birds is a familiar sound all year long. I often glance out the window to see birds of all forms in the yard throughout the day. Frequently I will pull out the Birds of Victoria or Birds of North America reference guides we have on hand. Unfortunately, the drawings in the first aren’t overly helpful for identification and the number of entries in the second is overwhelming. My second reason has to do with a photography course I took a number of years ago. Since that time I have been trying to think of a practical reason to buy a new camera. Taking pictures of birds requires a powerful zoom lens which my previous point-and-shoot camera could not accommodate. Perfect! My final reason was my desire to take on a new project to welcome in 2011. Hence, bird of the day was born.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

American Goldfinch

Carduelis tristis

winter

Appearance:
Conical bill
Notched tail
Black wings with white wing-bars
Winter:
Yellowish-brown
Summer: (photos below)
Male:
Bright yellow

Black forehead
Female:
Duller yellow-green

Listen to its call.

This bird was hanging out at our tube feeder this cloudy afternoon along with the resident chickadees and juncos.

On the subject of feeders, I purchased a new one last weekend. It's just a small log with holes drilled in it. As instructed, I've been filling these holes with bark butter. The birds absolutely love it, especially the woodpeckers. Already I've seen a Downy Woodpecker at it a number of times, as well as a Northern Flicker and a Pileated Woodpecker. The chickadees and nuthatches are also frequent visitors. The only problem is the feeder needs to be refilled every day or two to keep up with the demand.