Photo: Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) is a member of the Fringillidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 8.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Fringillidae Finches, Euphonias
- Genus Spinus
- Species psaltria
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.8 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Lesser Goldfinch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Lesser Goldfinch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) belongs to the Fringillidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA w USA to Peru.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.8 g, with a wing length of about 6.1 cm and a tail of around 4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Lesser Goldfinch?
The Lesser Goldfinch is a very small bird that weighs around 8.8 g.
Where does the Lesser Goldfinch live?
The Lesser Goldfinch is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA w USA to Peru, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Lesser Goldfinch belong to?
The Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) belongs to the Fringillidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Lesser Goldfinch eat?
The Lesser Goldfinch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Lesser Goldfinch migrate?
The Lesser Goldfinch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Lesser Goldfinch endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Lesser Goldfinch make?
1 real field recording of the Lesser Goldfinch — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Lesser Goldfinch's range?
The Lesser Goldfinch has a mapped global range of about 4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Fringillidae
A field guide to the Fringillidae family — 238 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.