American Goldfinch Among Thistle

Here's an American Goldfinch I saw last summer. Though the picture is obstructed, the rich yellow-and-black coloring means this is the more flamboyantly colored male of the species.

He appears to be in a spot with a number of thistles (we've got both invasive and native species around here), which would make a certain amount of sense since thistle seeds are one of the American Goldfinch's (and other seed-eating birds') favorite foods.

One popular thistle seed substitute commonly used in bird feeders is Nyjer seed; I think it's sometimes referred to as "thistle seed" although Nyjer isn't considered a thistle. AFAIK Nyjer seed is a healthy substitute for our seed-eating birds.

July 30, 2021 at Negri Nepote Native Grassland Preserve
Photo 149013242, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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