American Goldfinch (male, breeding)

The American goldfinch begins its breeding season very late in the year compared to other native North American birds. This may be related to the abundance of seeds in the late summer months. Its diet consists of the seeds from a wide variety of annual plants, often those of weeds grasses and trees, such as thistle, teasel, dandelion, ragweed, mullein, cosmos, goatsbeard, sunflower, and alder. It is mainly granivorous, but will occasionally eat insects, which are also fed to its young to provide protein. This male was eating thistle seeds.