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Lesser Goldfinch

Spinus psaltria

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernSeedsShrublandCup nestTiny · 9 g
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), photo 1
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), photo 2
Photo: Clinton & Charles Robertson from RAF Lakenheath, UK & San Marcos, TX, USA & UK · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), photo 3
Photo: Henry · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), photo 4
Photo: Henry · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), photo 5
Photo: Melissa McMasters from Memphis, TN, United States · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), photo 6
Photo: Mick Thompson · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), photo 7
Photo: Henry Sims 222 · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), photo 8
Photo: Melissa McMasters from Memphis, TN, United States · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), photo 9
Photo: HarmonyonPlanetEarth · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), photo 10
Photo: HarmonyonPlanetEarth · CC BY 2.0

What the Lesser Goldfinch sounds like

Sonogram of the Lesser Goldfinch: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Rosa Elena Albornoz · Alarm call · Bolívar Park (near Caracas), Sucre, Miranda, Venezuela · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Lesser Goldfinch: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by JUAN ANTONIO ALONSO DE JUAN · Song · Vereda La Máquina, Pacho, Cundinamarca, Colombia · CC BY 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

This 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 (Spinus spinescens). 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).

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Lesser Goldfinch

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Lesser Goldfinch

Regular range

The map shades 15 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

United States Mexico Colombia Venezuela Guatemala Costa Rica Panama Honduras El Salvador Belize Ecuador Nicaragua Peru Canada Trinidad & Tobago

About the Lesser Goldfinch

The lesser goldfinch is a small finch in the genus Spinus native to the Americas.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) Pine SiskinSpinus pinusThese birds are fairly small, being around the same size as the widespread American goldfinch. Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus) Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusThe siskin is a small, short-tailed bird, 11–12.5 centimetres (4.3–4.9 in) in length with a wingspan that ranges from 20 to 23 centimetres (7.9 to 9.1 in). Hooded Siskin (Spinus magellanicus) Hooded SiskinSpinus magellanicusThe hooded siskin is 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) long. and weighs about 11 g (0.39 oz).

Side by side: American Goldfinch vs Lesser Goldfinch · Lesser Goldfinch vs Pine Siskin · Eurasian Siskin vs Lesser Goldfinch · Hooded Siskin vs Lesser Goldfinch

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