The semi-colonial nesting habits of Lesser Goldfinches, the lack of territorial singing and other aspects of their behavior make nests difficult to find for atlasers. During incubation the male often feeds her on the nest. The female lays 3-6 (usually 4 or 5) eggs. The small, compact, deep cup is placed in a fork of a tree or bush. These birds often nest semi-colonially with each pair defending only the area near the nest (Oberholser 1974, Watt and Willoughby 1999). On hillsides they may be found in jumpers, oaks, and elms, usually near water. The presence of wild sunflowers, giant ragweed (or other composites) and bird feeders may attract Lesser Goldfinches to urban areas. In the Guadalupe Valley of the Edwards Plateau, the species is common in bald cypress and American sycamores near streams. In Texas, Lesser Goldfinches breed in lightly wooded areas with normal rainfall less than 90 cm (35 in) annually. Egg dates for Texas range from March 18 to June 20, indicating a breeding period from early March to late July.īREEDING HABITAT. Lesser Goldfinches are known to form feeding flocks in winter. The presence or absence in a particular area may be influenced by available food. Its behavior within its range is not well understood. Lesser Goldfinch is considered a permanent resident in much of its range in the United States, apparently withdrawing in winter from the colder parts of its range such as the Texas Panhandle. Other populations are found at the north end of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, in the Central American cordilleras, and in the Andes of northern South America (Watt and Willoughby 1999). In North America Lesser Goldfinch breeds from Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas south to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico. Oberholser (1974) reports an elevation range of 30 m (100 ft) to 2100 m (7000 ft). Records are lacking from northeast Texas and the Red River valley. During the 1987-1992 TBBA field work volunteers found breeding pairs in many parts of the state, ranging from El Paso in the west to the southern Gulf Coast in the east, and well north into the Panhandle. See Pyle (1997) and Watt and Willoughby (1999) for plumage details.ĭISTRIBUTION. Much more knowledge is needed about the life history and taxonomy of Lesser Goldfinch. Females of both morphs look similar and are duller than males. In winter plumage males of both races are duller. These birds have dull greenish backs and duller yellow underparts. Another color morph occurs from western New Mexico to the west coast of the United States. Adult males in breeding plumage are glossy black above, and bright yellow below, with white patches in the wings.
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