Goldfinches brighten our feeders in winter

Goldfinches are like ketchup: First non'll come and then a lot'll.

Apologies to Ogden Nash, who initially wrote, "The Catsup Bottle — First a little and then a lottle." And to Richard Armour, who rewrote Nash to give us the line I just borrowed.

Yesterday at our thistle seed feeder, two American goldfinches (their full name). Today, at least 15. This is typical.

How come?

According to ornithologist Alexander L.A. Middleton it's likely because they wander in search of food. They might feed in your yard today, and in a yard four miles distant tomorrow.

Middleton wrote the species monograph for the Birds of North America series.

Goldfinches are in Minnesota year-round, perhaps more appreciated in winter when they add variety and sporadic quantity to your feeder attendance.

Thistle seed is the attractant at feeders here. You can see these finches picking from flowers with exposed seeds, or from our native thistle species. The thistle seed you buy, usually labeled "nyger," is an Ethiopian crop.

What goldfinches eat is limited by their petite bills. They rarely are sunflower seed crunchers like cardinals. They will eat shelled sunflower pieces, however. They will feed from a feeder or on the ground.

Our goldfinch is one of three goldfinch species in North America; the other two are western birds — lesser goldfinch and Lawrence's goldfinch. All are members of the same family as siskins and redpolls.

Goldfinches will fight at feeders. A bird in a crouched head-forward position is not a happy bird. An open bill, harsh calls, wing fluttering and tail flicking are more serious signs of aggression.

The birds occasionally physically attack. Fights are brief; one bird retires.

None are known to have survived in the nest, according to ornithological literature.

Another thing in the goldfinch's favor is timing of nesting. It does not begin until late June or early July. This allows the birds to find ripened seed for feeding nestlings.

That schedule does not fit a cowbird's breeding timetable. Cowbirds need foster parents raising chicks at the more usual spring dates.

Goldfinches can live as long as 11 years, based on banding data. Males live longer than females, Middleton wrote. He said this could explain the imbalance in sex ratio. For every 1.0 females there are 1.6 males.

In Minnesota, goldfinches nest throughout the state. They are nomadic in winter. Here, some northern birds will move south, according to Robert Janssen's book "Birds in Minnesota."

American goldfinches as a species are listed as birds of least concern in terms of conservation status.

A flock of goldfinches is called a charm.