Winter Goldfinch

December 11, 2025

A male American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), enjoying the seedheads of Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) which I’ve left out for he and his many friends.

Hardly the same bird that I saw flocking with others this summer. Gone is the brilliant yellow, the black cap and the bright orange beak. Now in his winter garb, it is a bit difficult to tell a male Goldfinch from a female. Both now have black beaks, and they both have a dull tan coloring. No black cap now. He shows a very subtle yellow around his head which the female lacks. And still he has, striking in their contrast, black and white wings.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

2 thoughts on “Winter Goldfinch”

    1. Hi Sharon! The Goldfinches here don’t migrate. Which is great since I enjoy them so much.
      Hoping you are staying warm in this early meteorological winter.
      So glad you read my posts!
      Bren

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