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Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch

Spinus psaltria

Audubon Illustration

Audubon illustration of Lesser Goldfinch

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

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About the Lesser Goldfinch

The lesser goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) is a small finch in the genus Spinus native to the Americas. As is the case for most species in the genus Spinus, lesser goldfinch males have a black forehead, which females lack. Males in this species vary strikingly in the color of their back across their range, from green in western North America to black in the eastern Rocky Mountains and Texas south to northern South America; this variation has resulted in five subspecies being recognized.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Spinus psaltria
Family
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
Order
Passeriformes

Similar species

Other members of the finches, euphonias, and allies family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • Akekee Loxops caeruleirostris
  • Akiapolaau Hemignathus wilsoni
  • Akikiki Oreomystis bairdi
  • Akohekohe Palmeria dolei
  • American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
  • Anianiau Magumma parva
  • Apapane Himatione sanguinea
  • Asian Rosy-Finch Leucosticte arctoa
  • Black Rosy-Finch Leucosticte atrata
  • Black Siskin Spinus atratus
  • Black-capped Siskin Spinus atriceps
  • Black-headed Siskin Spinus notatus

Know when the Lesser Goldfinch turns up near you

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Gear for spotting Lesser Goldfinch

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