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 →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a American Goldfinch sighting in Elk Island National Park, based on 103 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Elk Island National Park
Pine Siskin
Spinus pinus
Purple Finch
Haemorhous purpureus
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammea
White-winged Crossbill
Loxia leucoptera
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra
Pine Grosbeak
Pinicola enucleator
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Common Raven
Corvus corax
📅 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 Elk Island National Park?
About 19% of wildlife watchers report a American Goldfinch sighting in Elk Island National Park, based on 103 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see American Goldfinch in Elk Island National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for American Goldfinch in Elk Island National Park in our monthly data.