The American Goldfinch
Quote:This handsome little finch, the state bird of New Jersey, Iowa, and
Washington, is welcome and common at feeders, where it takes primarily
sunflower and nyjer. Goldfinches often flock with Pine Siskins and
Common Redpolls. Spring males are brilliant yellow and shiny black with
a bit of white. Females and all winter birds are more dull but
identifiable by their conical bill; pointed, notched tail; wingbars;
and lack of streaking. During molts they look bizarrely patchy.
from,
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/idAlot of people call goldfinch wild canaries. They are not at all related to canaries. Well except for the bird part. Ya' know.
Also the bright gold is the males breeding colors. He molts to a grayish khaki sort of color in fall. Lots of people think they migrate because they dont see the gold anymore. Nope, they stay here(in the northeast) all year, they just change their "clothes".
My Goldfinch Story:
One day in the summer a couple of years ago, I had a finch feeder hanging on a 2 armed shepherds hook. The finch would perch on top of the hooks and wait for an empty perch. I look out, and theres a male goldfinch hanging upside down from the center of the hook, where the 2 arms meet. Well, they will hang upside down to eat, but he didn't look right. I walked over to the feeder and all the other finch flew away! He flapped his wings but his little leg was stuck! So I held him for support with one hand and tried to remove the second arm with my other hand. No good, it was rusted solid!! I give a light push/pull to see if his leg will just slide out, nope. I was so scared of breaking it or worse. So I try smacking it from underneath to get it to let go. (the arm not the bird) It wont budge. Now I'm standing there, smacking the hook, holding the poor little bird, crying, praying to God, mother earth, any deity that will listen to freaking HELP ME!
Another smack, and.......... *gasp* he was FREE! Yay! Huge relief! I looked him over, no apparent break or cut on his leg. I gave him a little pet, told him he's ok now and let him fly off.
Then I go looking for rope, or string or something to wrap around the arm in the nook, so no one elses leg can get caught. I was NOT going through that again! I get it all wrapped up. Came back out to watch at the hook, and this little yellow dart came from the tree across the yard right at me. I watch, thinking he's going to the food, nope, he's making a bee line straight towards my head!! (eek!) about a foot or two away he makes a hard left and lands in the tree next to me, he sits there looking at me chattering. Can this be the bird I just helped?? Then he goes to the hook. perches on top, holds out his right leg, looks at me, still chattering, looks at his leg, at the crook where he was stuck and back at me and stops 'talking'. Holy Crap! He just came back and said thank you! Truly one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had, and one I will never forget.
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