By Mary Leigh
[from fall 2025 newsletter]

This summer, I went on a guided bird walk at Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Sapsucker Woods, in Ithaca, NY. (On my first visit in 2021, about a year before I’d ever heard of Merlin or eBird, I didn’t properly appreciate that location, but this time I got a t-shirt!) During the walk, our guide shared some fun facts about American Goldfinch that make them unusual. They feed regurgitated seeds, almost exclusively, to their young, rather than feeding insects or a variety of food sources. Additionally, they nest unusually late in the season, waiting until July and August. This delay ensures that they have a good supply of seeds available.

American Goldfinch are consistent vegetarians. One site claimed they only eat insects if one accidentally flies into their open beaks! Their uncommon agility allows them to access seed sources other birds cannot, and they can extract seeds from almost any position. Thistle and sunflower seeds are favorites, but almost any seed will do. Baby cowbirds (whose parents deposit eggs in the nests of other birds) are doomed in an American Goldfinch nest, since they cannot survive more than a few days on seeds alone.

For comparison, House Finch are also vegetarians who feed regurgitated seeds to their young, but they breed earlier, and their diet includes buds, flower parts, berries, and small fruits, rather than almost exclusively seeds.

Cover: American Goldfinch on Hosta Bloom in Peosta, IA (7/1/14) © Mary Leigh