American Goldfinch

Here are a couple of American Goldfinch pictures from July. The more vibrant yellow/black one is a male, while the other is a female.

These guys aren't there to smell the flowers; most birds have a poor sense of smell. They're after seeds. Flowers exist to attract (mostly) insects that pollinate the plant, which should then result in seeds. Though some of these seeds end up growing more plants, some end up providing food for some of our birds. It's not unusual to see birds like goldfinches or chickadees poking around on what used to be flowers, looking to score a meal.

July 23, 2021 at the Plainsboro Preserve
Photo 148591673, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

July 23, 2021 at the Plainsboro Preserve
Photo 148591699, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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