Category: Molt twice a year

On A Bare Branch

June 18, 2025

Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), are here in the mountains of central Virginia year round. They’re strictly seed eaters and I love seeing them coming to the seed heads of flowers in my gardens.

The Goldfinches molt twice a year. As summer moves on they change their bright spring and summer feathers for duller ones to blend in with the dull colors of winter. Fresh feathers come in one by one giving them the look of a worn out quilt. By the end of winter they will be growing in a new set of feathers to start the spring season.

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A Transformation

In trying to come up with words to describe the intermediate stage of an American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) transforming from winter to summer garb, I immediately think of “patchwork quilt” but that is not quite right. After all quilts are beautiful pieces of art. This intermediate stage is an unfinished work, still in progress.

The first image is that transformative time, that intermediate stage, changing to a different outfit. Going from winter to summer garb. Goldfinches molt two times during the year, once in late winter and again in late summer. This photo, above, is of a male Goldfinch in his winter outfit. Trying to blend in as best he can.

And of course this is the outfit we all know to be the male Goldfinch in his summer suit. All set to knock our socks off with that smashing color.