'Wild Canaries'

Well the goldfinches were out in abundance today. The small flocks that winter here are beginning to get their breeding plumage. The males are especially noticeable with small dots of black beginning to peep through on the crown of their heads. Even the females are not as drab.
Goldies are sometimes called 'Wild Canaries' due to the bright yellow feathers the males sport in the spring and summer. They are quite beautiful birds and a welcome guest to add color to my feeders. The goldfinches' main food source is seeds, making them a bit more visible (bird feeders), which is why they are so recognizable to most folks. They stay in flocks much longer than other finch species because they don't begin breeding until later in the summer when weed seeds are abundant.



Around my neck of the woods in mid May, it's no surprize to see 50 goldfinches hogging the feeders along with the house finches and titmice. They'll eat anywhere and in most any condition: hanging on to feeders while the wind swings them like a pendulum, on the ground flitting about with the sparrows, and they seem especially fond of warm drizzling rain.
Check out this older post for a 'Summer Goldfinch' on a rainy day. He's all decked out in his Sunday best.