Episode Number
20
Episode Show Notes / Description
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis).
The American goldfinch’s jumbled song is a staple of warm mornings and hot summer afternoons. In the cold months they visit hanging finch feeders, the drooping heads of last year’s sunflowers, and sometimes join in with Pine siskins foraging in sycamore and sweetgum trees. Listen for their “perchicory” or “potato chip” flight call as you go about your day!
Do you want to learn more bird songs, frog calls, and insect noises? Join Voice of the Wild every Friday to explore a new wild voice. From time to time, we’ll also do a deep dive into wildlife science, news, and natural history. Voice of the Wild is brought to you by the University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy program.
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The following Cornell Lab | Macaulay Library recordings were used in this episode:
American Goldfinch song by Wil Hershberger (ML510272)
American Goldfinch flight call by Wil Hershberger (ML510278)
American Goldfinch call by David Sibley (ML510280)
Sources and more:
- https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/
- https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-goldfinch
- Sibley, David. Sibley Birds East: Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America. Second edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. Print.
- Peterson, Roger Tory, and Virginia Marie Peterson. A Field Guide to the Birds: A Completely New Guide to All the Birds of Eastern and Central North America. Fourth edition, completely revised and enlarged. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1980. Print.
- Dobson, Colin et al. Field Guide to Hotspots and Birds in Illinois. Champaign-Urbana: Scissortail LLC, 2023. Print.
- Godfrey, Michael A, John Farrand, and Roger Tory Peterson. Videoguide to the Birds of North America. New York, N.Y: MasterVision, 1985. Film.
Transcript
This is Illinois Extension’s Voice of the Wild. a new wild voice in just a moment, so find someplace quiet, take a deep breath, and enjoy.
Though Its jumbled song is a staple of warm mornings and hot summer afternoons, this bird's squeaky voice can be heard in Illinois year round. In the cold months they visit hanging finch feeders, the drooping heads of last year’s sunflowers, and sometimes join in with pine siskins foraging in sycamore and sweetgum trees. In the spring, their dull winter plumage turns bright yellow and Males develop a black forehead patch to match the birds black wings and tail. Their diet consists almost exclusively of seeds, and in the mid to late summer when they build out their nest, they’ll line it with the milkweed fuzz and thistle down that comes with their meals.
This is the American Goldfinch, Spinus (spinnus) tristis from the finch family Fringillidae. The goldfinches undulating flight is often accompanied by a distinct call. Audubon says this sounds like “perchicory” while cornell says “potato chip.” I’ll play it first and let you decide. Here’s the goldfinch again.
Thank you to the Macaulay library at the Cornell lab for our bird sounds. And thank you for tuning in to learn a new bird call with Illinois Extension.
Though Its jumbled song is a staple of warm mornings and hot summer afternoons, this bird's squeaky voice can be heard in Illinois year round. In the cold months they visit hanging finch feeders, the drooping heads of last year’s sunflowers, and sometimes join in with pine siskins foraging in sycamore and sweetgum trees. In the spring, their dull winter plumage turns bright yellow and Males develop a black forehead patch to match the birds black wings and tail. Their diet consists almost exclusively of seeds, and in the mid to late summer when they build out their nest, they’ll line it with the milkweed fuzz and thistle down that comes with their meals.
This is the American Goldfinch, Spinus (spinnus) tristis from the finch family Fringillidae. The goldfinches undulating flight is often accompanied by a distinct call. Audubon says this sounds like “perchicory” while cornell says “potato chip.” I’ll play it first and let you decide. Here’s the goldfinch again.
Thank you to the Macaulay library at the Cornell lab for our bird sounds. And thank you for tuning in to learn a new bird call with Illinois Extension.