09.08.24: Goldfinch in field

There are three times a year when wildlife photography in Central Ohio is less than routine.

There's spring and fall, when migration increases the variety of birds in the area.

And there’s "goldfinch season," primarily July and August, when the male American Goldfinch sports its bright yellow breeding plumage and is active in area fields that are filled with yellow flowers.

But goldfinch remain interesting photo subjects even after peak goldfinch season. The male goldfinch’s bright plumage has faded to a duller yellow — like the female’s — by that time, but the plumage continues to blend with the fading yellows and browns of a late summer or early fall field.

This photo of a female goldfinch was captured in September, after the end of goldfinch season. I found her perched on the remains of a thistle plant, one of the goldfinch’s favorite foods, in Sharon Woods Metro Park north of Columbus, Ohio. She was pulling seeds out to eat while watching the area for predators.

The males’ bright yellow breeding plumage and black "cap" show up after the spring molt (I typically start seeing some bright-yellow males in June). But during the remainder of the year there is little distinctive about the goldfinch. Outside of the summer breeding season the male is a yellow-olive color and loses the black cap. Females remain a dull yellow-brown all year, although some will brighten slightly during the summer months. The wing and tail feathers remain black on the male year-round. The female has dark brown wing and tail feathers.

Goldfinch breed later in the year than most other birds. Courtship begins in late July and I typically start seeing juvenile goldfinch in the fields in late September. The immature goldfinch has a dull brown back and pale yellow underside. The white markings on the wings of the adult are replaced with a buff color on the juvenile.

Although American Goldfinch are plentiful in the area during summer and fall, they are still difficult to photograph. The birds blend with colors in the fields each season, which makes them difficult to see. And when one bird is startled and flies off, it’s joined by hundreds of others. So it takes quite a bit of patience to photograph goldfinch.