SEP 27, birdlore: American goldfinches

Authors' Note:  This common North American bird species, Spinus tristis, is often referred to as the "wild canary" owing to the male's bright yellow summer coat, set off by black wings with white ribbons and black forehead patch. As their diet consists almost entirely of seeds, nesting does not begin until mid-or late summer when weed seeds become plentiful. Thistle heads are used not only to feed the young, but also to construct the nest! The relative dietary habits of finches around the globe (insects versus seeds) has been an area of intense biologic study (see the verse "Darwin's finches” at OEDILF.com). 

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