American Goldfinch
| American Goldfinch | ||||||||||||
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American Goldfinch ( Carduelis tristis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Spinus tristis | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The golden siskin ( Spinus tristes , Syn .: Carduelis tristes ) is a North American species of bird from the subfamily of the goldfinch-like (Carduelinae). The range of this migratory bird extends from southern Canada to North Carolina during the breeding season . During the winter, the golden siskin can be found from Mexico to the southern border of Canada.
Golden siskins are the only finches in their subfamily in which the males have a seasonally very different plumage: The body plumage of the male is bright yellow in summer and a muted olive-brown tone in winter. Females, on the other hand, have muted yellow-brown plumage all year round, which is a bit more contrasting in summer than in winter.
The American Goldfinch is a seed eater. Similar to the goldfinch , the golden siskin also has characteristics that adapt it well to such a life. With its conical beak, it is easy for it to pick seeds out of seed pods. Its feet are agile enough to hold onto the stems of seed-bearing annuals , perennials and shrubs . The golden siskin lives socially. Only during the breeding season does it occasionally defend the immediate area around its nest. Outside the breeding season, it can often be seen in large schools. The beginning of the breeding season depends on the food available. It often doesn't begin until late July, which is unusually late for a finch species in this range. Golden Siskins are basically monogamous and raise one brood per year.
Golden siskins are among those birds that benefit from being close to humans. Since this species prefers to live in open habitats, it has benefited from the increased deforestation of forests in recent decades, which has increased its habitat. In suburbs and districts with a network of green spaces, the golden siskin benefits from being bird-fed by people.
Appearance of the American Goldfinch
The American Goldfinch is a small species of finch. His body length is eleven to thirteen centimeters; the wingspan, on the other hand, was nineteen to twenty-two centimeters. The bird weighs between eleven and twenty grams.
The male's magnificent dress is light yellow with a black cap, white rump and rump, black wings with white bands and a black tail with a white border. The simple dress of the male and the plumage of the female are brownish olive on the top and light yellow on the underside. The beak is small, narrow, and a bright pink color for most of the year. In spring, when both sexes are moulting , the beak is a bright orange. The shape and size of the beak are the result of an adaptation to the diet of the golden siskin. It makes it easy for the American Goldfinch to get seeds in the flower heads of thistles or to peck seeds from the flower discs of sunflowers .
Golden Siskins moult in both spring and autumn. The sexual dimorphism of the plumage is particularly noticeable after the spring moult.
Occurrence
The American Goldfinch prefers trees in open landscapes, especially in orchards and along roads. It breeds from southern Canada from British Columbia to Newfoundland and most of the United States. In winter the bird migrates a short distance south.
behavior
The American Goldfinch feeds on seeds of weeds and thistles. In winter, larger swarms come together.
Reproduction
The American Goldfinch does not breed until late June to early July. The bowl-shaped nest made of plant material is built in the fork of a tree. The female alone incubates two to seven bluish-white eggs. A second brood follows as soon as the young birds of the first brood leave the nest. The not yet independent young are fed by the males for another 14 days. During this time he also takes care of the already breeding female in the nest.
Subspecies
There are four known subspecies:
- S. t. pallida Mearns , 1890 - This subspecies occurs in south-central Canada , as well as in the central and west-central areas of the United States.
- S. t. jewetti van Rossem , 1943 - This subspecies occurs in southwestern Canada and the northwestern United States.
- S. t. salicamans Grinnell , 1897 - The range of this subspecies stretches over the southwest of the USA in the northwest of Mexico .
- S. t. tristis ( Linnaeus , 1758) - The nominate form occurs in southeastern Canada, as well as the central and eastern parts of the USA.
Others
The American Goldfinch is the state bird of Iowa , New Jersey, and Washington .
swell
literature
- Colin Harrison, Alan Greensmith: Birds. Dorling Kindersley, London 1993, 2000, ISBN 3-8310-0785-3 .
- Bryan Richard: Birds. Parragon, Bath, ISBN 1-4054-5506-3 .
- AL A Middleton: The Birds of North America . Ed .: A. Poole, F. Gill. No. 80 . The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 1993, American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis), doi : 10.2173 / bna.80 (English).
- Carl von Linné: Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, Cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis . 10th edition. tape 1 . Imprensis Direct Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm 1758 ( online [accessed April 6, 2015]).
- Adriaan Joseph van Rossem: Description of a Race of Goldfinch From the Pacific Northwest . In: The Condor . tape 45 , no. 4 , 1943, pp. 158–159 (English, online [PDF; 195 kB ; accessed on April 6, 2015]).
- Joseph Grinnell: New Race of Spinus Tristis from the Pacific Coast . In: The Auk . tape 14 , no. 4 , 1897, p. 397–399 (English, online [PDF; 134 kB ; accessed on April 6, 2015]).
- Edgar Alexander Mearns: Descriptions of a New Species and Three New Subspecies of Birds From Arizona . In: The Auk . tape 7 , no. 4 , 1897, p. 243–251 (English, online [PDF; 394 kB ; accessed on April 6, 2015]).
Web links
- Spinus tristis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017.3. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Spinus tristis in the Internet Bird Collection
- Golden Siskin feathers
Individual evidence
- ^ Carduelis tristis . The Georgia Museum of Natural History and Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on July 2, 2007. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 6, 2007.
- ↑ American Goldfinch . Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
- ↑ Hayakawa, E .: American Goldfinch . Archived from the original on January 17th, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 6, 2007.
- ^ IOC World Bird List Finches, euphonias
- ^ Edgar Alexander Mearns, p. 244.
- ^ Adriaan Joseph van Rossem, p. 158.
- ^ Joseph Grinnell, p. 397.
- ↑ Carl von Linné, p. 181.
