_Fringilla tristis_, LINN. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 320.—WILS. Am. Orn.
I, 1808, 20, pl. i, f. 2.—AUD. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 172; V, 510,
pl. xxxiii. _Carduelis tristis_, BON. Obs. Wils. 1825, No.
96.—AUD. Birds Am. II, 1841, 129, pl. clxxxi.—MAX. Cab. Journ. vi,
1858, 281. _Chrysomitris tristis_, BON. List, 1838.—NEWBERRY,
Zoöl. Cal. & Or. Route; Rep. P. R. R. Surv. VII, IV, 1857,
87.—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 421.—COOPER & SUCKLEY, 197.—COOPER,
Orn. Cal. 1, 167. _Astragalinus tristis_, CABANIS, Mus. Hein.
1851, 159 (type). _Carduelis americana_, (EDWARDS,) SW. & RICH. F.
B. A. II, 1831, 268. _Golden Finch_, PENNANT. _American
Goldfinch_, EDWARDS. _Chardonneret jaune; Chardonneret du Canada;
Tarin de la Nouvelle Yorck_, BUFFON.—IB. Pl. enl., pl. ccii, f. 2,
pl. ccxcii, f. 1.—SAMUELS, Birds N. Eng. 288.
SP. CHAR. _Male._ Bright gamboge-yellow; crown, wings, and tail black.
Lesser wing-coverts, band across the end of greater ones, ends of
secondaries and tertiaries, inner margins of tail-feathers, upper and
under tail-coverts, and tibia white. Length, 5.25 inches; wing, 3.00.
_Female._ Yellowish-gray above; greenish-yellow below. No black on
forehead. Wing and tail much as in the male. _Young._ Reddish-olive
above; fulvous-yellow below; two broad bands across coverts, and broad
edges to last half of secondaries pale rufous.
HAB. North America generally.
In winter the yellow is replaced by a yellowish-brown; the black of
the crown wanting, that of wings and tail browner. The throat is
generally yellowish; the under parts ashy-brown, passing behind into
white.
There are no observable differences between eastern and western
specimens.
[Illustration: _Chrysomitris tristis._]
HABITS. The common American Goldfinch is found throughout the greater
portion of North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Sir John
Richardson met with it in the fur regions, where it is one of the
tardiest of the summer visitors, and whence it departs early in
September. The specimen described by him was taken June 29. At the
extreme South it is not uncommon, according to Dresser, around San
Antonio, and Dr. Woodhouse found it abundant both in Texas and in the
Indian Territory. Dr. Coues did not find it in Arizona, nor does
Sumichrast give it as a bird of Vera Cruz. Dr. Newberry found this
Finch quite common throughout his route to the Columbia, this sweet
songster, he states, having been a constant source of pleasure in the
interior both of California and Oregon, far from the haunts of men,
where everything else was new and strange. But Dr. Suckley, though he
looked carefully for this species about Puget Sound, in the most
appropriate situations, was unable to find any, and did not believe
that any existed there. Dr. Cooper states that it is, however, quite
abundant on the Columbia and along the coast near its mouth.
The last-named writer states that this species is a constant resident
in all the western parts of California, but he met with none on the
Colorado. They become rare on the coast at the Columbia, but farther
in the interior are found as far north as latitude 49°. They breed as
far south as San Diego, but seem to avoid the hot interior valleys, as
well as the mountains. Their favorite resorts are where thistles and
other composite plants abound, and also groves of willow and
cottonwood, upon the seeds of which they feed largely. In winter the
seeds of the buttonwood supply their chief subsistence.
The common Goldfinch was seen in abundance by Mr. Ridgway only in the
vicinity of Sacramento City, associated with the _Carpodacus
frontalis_, and often nesting in the same tree. In the interior this
species was rarely seen, and only one specimen was secured in the
Truckee Valley in May, and not noticed afterwards. It was, however,
found breeding in the Uintah Mountains, where its nest and eggs were
obtained. The nests procured by Mr. Ridgway were all found about June
6, except one, ten days later, showing that these birds are four or
five weeks earlier in their breeding on the Pacific than on the
Atlantic coast. In the Uintah Mountains they were breeding, as at the
East, in July.
The Goldfinch is to a large extent gregarious and nomadic in its
habits, and only for a short portion of the year do these birds
separate into pairs for the purposes of reproduction. During at least
three fourths of the year they associate in small flocks, and wander
about in an irregular and uncertain manner in quest of their food.
They are resident throughout the year in New England, and also
throughout the greater portion of the country, their presence or
absence being regulated to a large extent by the abundance, scarcity,
or absence of their favorite kinds of food. In the winter, the seeds
of the taller weeds are their principal means of subsistence. In the
summer, the seeds of the thistle and other plants and weeds are sought
out by these interesting and busy gleaners. They are abundant in
gardens, and as a general thing do very little harm, and a vast amount
of benefit in the destruction of the seeds of troublesome weeds. As,
however, they do not always discriminate between seeds that are
troublesome and those that are desirable, the Goldfinches are
unwelcome visitors to the farmers who seek to raise their own seeds of
the lettuce, turnip, and other similar vegetables. They are also very
fond of the seeds of the sunflower.
Owing possibly to the scarcity of proper food for their young in the
early summer, the Goldfinches are quite late before they mate and
raise their single brood. It is usually past the 10th of July before
their nests are constructed, and often September before their broods
are ready to fly.
The song of the Goldfinch—very different from their usual plaintive
cry or call-note, uttered as they are flying or when they are
feeding—is very sweet, brilliant, and pleasing; most so, indeed, when
given as a solo, with no other of its kindred within hearing. I know
of none of our common singers that excel it in either respect. Its
notes are higher and more flute-like, and its song is more prolonged
than that of the Purple Finch. Where large flocks are found in the
spring or early summer, the males often join in a very curious and
remarkable concert, in which the voices of the several performers do
not always accord. In spite of this frequent want of harmony, these
concerts are varied and pleasing, now ringing like the loud voices of
the Canary, and now sinking into a low soft warble.
During the warm summer weather the Goldfinch is very fond of bathing,
and the sandy shelving margins of brooks are always their favorite
places of resort for this purpose. I do not think they ever raise more
than a single brood in a season in New England, and are in this
somewhat irregular, depositing their eggs from July 10 to September,
as it may happen.
They usually select a small upright tree, such as a young elm, apple,
or pear, or a tall shrub, for their nest, which they rarely place
higher than ten feet from the ground. Than the nest of our Goldfinch
we have no more beautiful specimen either of the basket in shape or
the felted in structure. Symmetrical in form, delicately and
beautifully woven, and ingeniously and firmly fastened around the
forked twigs with which it is interlaced, it is an exquisite example
of architectural beauty and finish. A beautiful specimen from
Wisconsin may be taken as typical. It measures three inches in
diameter and two in height. The cavity is one and a half inches wide
at the rim, and the depth is the same. The base of this nest is a
commingling of soft vegetable wool, very fine stems of dried grasses,
and fine strips of bark, all being in very fine shreds. The sides,
rim, and general exterior of the nest is made up, to a large extent,
of fine slender vegetable fibres, interwrought with white and
maroon-colored vegetable wool. These materials are closely and densely
felted together. The inner nest is softly and thoroughly lined with a
softer felting made of the plumose appendages or pappus of the seeds
of composite plants.
The eggs, usually five, rarely six in number, are of a uniform
bluish-white, sharply pointed at one and rounded at the other end.
They measure from .65 to .67 of an inch in length and from .50 to .55
in breadth. Dr. Cooper gives their measurement as .60 by .50; but of
the contents of seven nests before me not an egg is less than .65 in
length, and but one so small as .50 in breadth.
A nest of this Finch, built in a young elm-tree in Hingham, eight feet
from the ground, was begun July 27, finished and the first egg laid
August 1. By the 4th five eggs had been deposited, and on the 16th
they had all been hatched.
Chrysomitris psaltria, var. psaltria, BONAP.