Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 26, 1993 TAG: 9312230014
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Patricia Held
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The goldfinch has rather expensive taste when it comes to food. At approximately one dollar a pound, thistle seed is a costly treat. It is their favorite food, but it's considered well worth the price by bird-feeding enthusiasts.
The goldfinch is related to the grosbeaks, finches, sparrows and buntings. The best recognized characteristic is its canary-like bill, short and stout and adapted to the bird's seed-cracking habits.
In the summertime the goldfinch feeds on dandelion, thistle, burdock and other weed seeds, especially those from composite flowers. In the winter the birds move in small flocks in search of a rich source of seeds, whether a field or a well-stocked bird feeder.
During the colder seasons goldfinches congregate in small groups. If you are lucky, you may find them feeding with some uncommon winter visitors, the pine siskins.
At a quick glance the goldfinch can be mistaken for a canary. In fact, it is often called a "wild canary." Its bright yellow feathers and black markings make this bird a real standout at the feeder or in the trees.
Only the male is colorful. The female goldfinch is olive green. The male's colors are at their finest in spring and summer, but as winter approaches the colors turn a drab green to match its mate.
Unless you happen to see a bird that has not yet lost its color, it is easy to overlook the goldfinch at the feeder. Look for its "roller-coaster" flight patterns and the lovely song that it sings with each dip.
Although not as visible in the summer months because of the leaf cover, the goldfinch is in Western Virginia nesting and raising young. Most other birds are through with the chores of raising a family by mid-summer, but the goldfinch's work really just begins in late July.
This late nesting behavior seems to be true only for the Eastern species of goldfinch. Researchers believe that this could be due to the bird's dependence in our area on thistle as both a food source and nesting material.
The female is responsible for weaving a nest. She usually chooses a forked branch near a marsh or meadow to begin construction. She works secretly and silently and tries to remain under cover as much as possible as she works on her tiny home.
The bird is very careful about her choice of materials. Caterpillar webs, thistle flowers, grasses and other fibers are woven into a tight cup and lined with thistle down to make the nest water-tight.
A single brood of three young are raised each year. Five bluish-white eggs are incubated by the female for about 14 days. Although they all hatch, only three young usually make it to fledge.
The female spends about 95 percent of her time on the nest, but the chores of raising a family are not all hers. As she tends her brood, her mate dutifully visits and presents her with tidbits of food.
The young are tended by both parents, who constantly deliver caterpillars, beetles and other insects to the hungry mouths. In two weeks the brood is well-feathered, but it will be several more weeks before the chicks learn to fend and feed themselves. By mid-autumn both parents and the young become frequent visitors to the feeder.
The goldfinch will visit well-stocked feeders filled with good quality mixed seed and sunflower seed. But they do prefer thistle seed over all other types.
Thistle seed is available by the pound at most feed and seed stores. If you purchase thistle seed, be sure you use a special thistle feeder. These feeders have extra-tiny openings that dispense seed one morsel at a time and prevent waste.
by CNB