Identifying / telling apart goldfinch species
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NOTE: There are three goldfinch species found in North America. In the eastern half of the United States and in Canada, the only goldfinch species you will find is the American Goldfinch. In much of the western US, a birder may run across either American Goldfinch or Lesser Goldfinch, while parts of the southwestern United States, a birder may also find Lawrence's Goldfinch. Plumage and other differences make differentiating between male goldfinches relatively straightforward, particularly breeding males. Females are more difficult, as they lack some of the key identifying features. The following provides some of the key identification features for the three goldfinch species. Note while Lesser Goldfinch Lawrence's Goldfinch generally maintain similar plumage throughout the year, the American Goldfinch becomes much less "bright" outside of the breeding season. Male American Goldfinches lose their bright yellow coloring and are primarily a drab grayish color (with some yellowish highlights), while maintaining the black wings. Even female American Goldfinches are "brighter" during the breeding season, with a yellowish-tinged plumage that is replaced with gray tones in the winter. |
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| MALE GOLDFINCHES (breeding plumage) | ||
| American Goldfinch | Lesser Goldfinch | |
| Spinus tristus | Spinus psaltria | |
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| Height: 5 inches | Height: 4.5 inches | |
| Wingspan: 9 inches | Wingspan: 8 inches | |
| Body: Bright yellow plumage on most of the body, including back, face, and back of the head. | Body: Yellow plumage on underparts may be similar to a American Goldfinch, but the back is either a olive color (as in the bird above), or black. Birds in the far western part of their range tend towards the olive-backed plumage, with interior birds often black-backed. | |
| Head: Yellow with black cap | Head: yellow throat, olive/black back of head, black cap | |
| Wings: Black with white wing bars | Wings: Black with white wing-bars | |
| Bill: Colorful orange bill | Bill: Grayish / drab bill | |
| Rump / Undertail: White undertail and rump patch (rump patch visible in flight) | Rump / Undertail: Yellowish undertail (breeding plumage) | |
| South Dakota Status: Common summer resident and migrant in all parts of the state. They are also relatively common winter residents in the southern part of the state, with decreasing numbers of birds as you move northward. | South Dakota Status: Rare and local in summer in the far southwestern part of the state, particularly parts of Fall River County. Breeding has now been confirmed in the area, extending the known breeding range of Lesser Goldfinch well to the north of most reference range maps. | |
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| Lawrence's Goldfinch | ||
| Spinus lawrencei | ||
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| Height: 4.75 inches | ||
| Wingspan: 8.25 inches | ||
| Body: Grayish body and back, with yellow breast | ||
| Head: Black throat, face, and forehead | ||
| Wings: Dark with yellow wing bars, yellow edges on primary feathers | ||
| Bill: Gray / Drab | ||
| South Dakota Status: Not a species found in South Dakota. | ||
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| FEMALE GOLDFINCHES | ||
| American Goldfinch | Lesser Goldfinch | |
| Spinus tristus | Spinus psaltria | |
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NOTES: Female American Goldfinches have similar plumage patterns as the males, except they are 1) drabber, and 2) lack the black cap. In summer breeding plumage, as with the bird above, female American Goldfinches are yellow overall, but paler than the male, with an olive-wash on the back that's lacking in the male. For differentiating from the Lesser Goldfinch, note the 1) orange bill and 2) white undertail coverts (yellow on Lesser). Note the female American Goldfinch has a grayish-toned bill in winter plumage, as does the Lesser Goldfinch, but the female American Goldfinch loses nearly all yellow tones from its plumage in winter, while the Lesser Goldfinch maintains a more stable yellow tone. |
NOTES: Female Lesser Goldfinch lack the black cap of the male and are somewhat more drab overall. They maintain the yellowish underparts and olive-tinted upperparts of the male. For differentiating from the American Goldfinch, note the 1) gray / drab bill and 2) yellowish undertail coverts (white on American). |
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| Lawrence's Goldfinch | ||
| Spinus lawrencei | ||
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NOTES: Female Lawrence's Goldfinch are similar to the male, but lack the black face and cap, and the yellow wash on the breast is typically paler and less pronounced. The overall gray tone, yellow on the breast, and yellow on the wings differentiate the female Lawrence's Goldfinch from American and Lesser. *Photo courtesy of Alan Schmierer |
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American Goldfinch |
Lesser Goldfinch |
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| Additional Photos | Additional Photos | |||||
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Female (Summer) |
Female (Winter) |
Male (Summer) |
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Male (Summer) |
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Lawrence's Goldfinch |
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