The Lesser Goldfinch
by Robert Bales
Title
The Lesser Goldfinch
Artist
Robert Bales
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
A male Lesser Goldfinch resting in the sunshine in our front yard in Yuma Arizona. It is the time of year as they are migrating back to the North.
This petite species is not only the smallest North American Spinus finch, it may be the smallest true finch in the world. Some sources list more subtropical Spinus species as slightly smaller on average, including the Andean siskin. This species ranges from 9 to 12 cm (3.5 to 4.7 in) in length and can weigh from 8 to 11.5 g (0.28 to 0.41 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 5.5 to 7 cm (2.2 to 2.8 in), the tail is 3.9 to 4.7 cm (1.5 to 1.9 in), the bill is 0.9 to 1.1 cm (0.35 to 0.43 in) and the tarsus is 1.1 to 1.2 cm (0.43 to 0.47 in). There is a slight NW-SE cline in size, with the largest birds from Mexico and south being up to one-fifth larger than the smallest from the extreme NW of its range; this effect is more pronounced in females. There is also considerable variation in the amount of black on head and back in males, and thus three subspecies have been proposed. But this variation too seem to be simple and clinal changes in allele frequency, and thus the "subspecies" might be better considered morphs or geographical forms.
Males are easily recognized by their bright yellow underparts and big white patches in the tail (outer rectrices) and on the wings (the base of the primaries). They range from having solid black from the back to the upper head including the ear-coverts to having these regions medium green; each of the back, crown and ear regions varies in darkness rather independently though as a rule the ears are not darker than the rest. In most of the range dark psaltria birds (Arkansas goldfinch) predominate. The light birds are termed hesperophilus and are most common in the far western U.S. and northwestern Mexico.
Jabbering clouds of yellow, green, and black Lesser Goldfinches gather in scrubby oak, cottonwood, and willow habitats of the western U.S., or visit suburban yards for seeds and water. These finches primarily eat seeds of plants in the sunflower family, and they occur all the way south to the Peruvian Andes. Listen closely to their wheezy songs, which often include snippets from the songs of other birds.
Uploaded
March 2nd, 2016
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Viewed 1,757 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/22/2024 at 8:22 PM
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Comments (22)
Don Columbus
Congratulations Robert, your work is Featured in "Birds In Focus" I invite you to place it in the group's "2019 Featured Image Archive" Discussion!! L/Tweet
William Tasker
Thank you for submitting this fine nature shot to Wild Birds Of The World - A Nature Photography group, where the image is now featured on the home page. L/F
Anita Faye
Robert, such a gorgeous Lesser Goldfinch capture! Featured on Poetic Poultry Group! https://fineartamerica.com/groups/poetic-poultry-.html