Wednesday, July 17, 2013

American Goldfinch

American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis

Goldfinches enjoy thistle seeds and since the hill behind my garden is filled with these obnoxious weeds, the finches return every year to this area. I put thistle seeds out for them but mostly these birds choose the sunflower seeds.
























The thistle is so important a food resource that the Goldfinch delays breeding such that the nestlings will hatch when the thistle seeds are maximally prevalent. These birds are double and sometimes triple brooded.



References

The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.

Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.

Beadle D, Rising J. Sparrows of the United States and Canada. Princeton UP. 2003.

Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.

Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.

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