American Goldfinch — Wings of NH

What you notice first

The flight — a deep, bounding roller-coaster line across the yard, with a bright "po-ta-to-chip" called on each upstroke.

Voice

A long, canary-like jumble of twitters and swee notes from a high perch; the "per-chik-o-ree" or "potato-chip" flight call is the giveaway overhead.

Where & when

Weedy fields, roadsides, thistle and birch stands, nyjer feeders. Everywhere in the state. Brilliant yellow May–September; drab olive-buff the rest of the year, when people stop recognising them.

New Hampshire’s goldfinch is the same species as everywhere, but the seasonal costume change trips people up: the lemon-and-black male of July is the streaky brown bird of January, and plenty of people log two different birds.

They are the latest songbird to nest in the state — often not until late July or August — because they wait for thistle and other composites to set the seed and down they need for both food and nest lining. A goldfinch feeding nestlings is feeding them a near-pure vegetarian diet, unusual among songbirds and hard on cowbird chicks that hatch in the nest.

In winter they roam in tight, twittering flocks, dropping onto birches and alders to hang off the catkins. A good nyjer feeder holds them all year.