Species: Spinus psaltria
Lesser Goldfinch
Species
Show on Lists
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Aves
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Fringillidae
Genus
Spinus
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Chardonneret mineur - Jilguero Dominico
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Perching Birds
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Passeriformes - Fringillidae - Spinus - belong to different clades.
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - true - true - Migratory in Rocky Mountains region.
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
true
Food Comments
Thistle and other seeds comprise about 96% of its diet. A few insects may be taken during the breeding season. Usually forages on or near the ground. Often forages in flocks. Flowers included in diet in Costa Rica (Stiles and Skutch 1989).
Reproduction Comments
Clutch size is 3-6 in north (usually 4-5); 3-4 in Costa Rica. Incubation, by female, lasts 12 days. Altricial young are tended by both parents. Breeding pairs may stay together all winter.
Ecology Comments
May form loose winter flocks of 20-30 birds that may also include other species of goldfinches and passerines.
Length
11
Weight
10
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-12-04
Global Status Last Changed
1996-12-04
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?US.AZ=S5&US.CA=SNR&US.CO=S4&US.ID=S2&US.MT=SU&US.NN=S3&US.NV=S4&US.NM=S4&US.OK=S2&US.OR=S4&US.TX=S5&US.UT=S3&US.WA=S2&US.WY=__" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
Resident from southwestern Washington, western Oregon, northeastern California, northern Nevada, northern Utah, northern Colorado, south to northwestern Oklahoma, north-central and central Texas, south through Mexico to northern South America (northern Venezuela, western Colombia, locally in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru; Ridgely and Tudor 1989). Introduced and established on Cuba, at least formerly). Mainly migratory in Rocky Mountains region.