American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyFringillidae (Fringíl·lids)
- GenusSpinus (Siskins and New World Goldfinches)
- SpeciesSpinus tristis (American Goldfinch)
The American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada–United States border to Mexico during the winter. The only finch in its subfamily to undergo a complete molt, the American goldfinch displays sexual dichromatism: the male is a vibrant yellow in the summer and an olive color during the winter, while the female is a dull yellow-brown shade which brightens only slightly during the summer. The male displays brightly colored plumage during the breeding season to attract a mate. The American goldfinch is a granivore and adapted for the consumption of seedheads, with a conical beak to remove the seeds and agile feet to grip the stems of seedheads while feeding. It is a social bird and will gather in large flocks while feeding and migrating. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a American Goldfinch sighting in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, based on 15 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Cumbres de Monterrey National Park
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
Pine Siskin
Spinus pinus
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Island Canary
Serinus canaria
Elegant Euphonia
Euphonia elegantissima
Scrub Euphonia
Euphonia affinis
Green Jay
Cyanocorax yncas
Black-crested Titmouse
Baeolophus atricristatus
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a American Goldfinch in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park?
About 1% of wildlife watchers report a American Goldfinch sighting in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, based on 15 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see American Goldfinch in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for American Goldfinch in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park in our monthly data.