gluckert's Identifications

MALE Lawrence's Goldfinch (Spinus lawrencei)

COMPARISON of 3 Goldfinches (Spinus genus):
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
Lawrence's Goldfinch (Spinus lawrencei)

Visual comparison of 4 species of Goldfinches: The Cornell Lab: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/search/?q=Spinus+lawrencei

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Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Is a small songbird, only 11 cm (4.5 inches) long. It is smaller and darker billed than the American Goldfinch. Both male and female have white wing patch at base of primaries. Adult male has and entire black crown. Underside, starting at lower bill, is bright yellow. Adult females and juveniles have dull yellow underside. There are several subspecies. Two color patterns occur in the United States. Males in some areas may be either green-backed or black-backed. Lesser Goldfinches gather in scrubby oak, cottonwood, and willow habitats of the western U.S., or visit suburban gardens for seeds and water. These finches primarily eat the seeds of plants. In bird feeders, they especially enjoy Nyger seeds.

Link to Female Lesser Goldfinch : https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/197844034
Link to Male Lesser Goldfinch:

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/search_results?search=Spinus%20psaltria

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/lesgol/

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017, pp. 442-443.

The Cornell Lab (Birds in U.S. and Canada): https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lesser_Goldfinch

Xeno-canto Bird songs, sound recordings, and species range map: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Spinus-psaltria

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COMPARED TO

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) Larger and lighter billed than Lesser Goldfinch. It is a small, migratory songbird that displays sexual dichromatism: the male is a vibrant yellow in the summer and an olive color during the winter, while the female is a dull yellow-brown shade which brightens only slightly during the summer. The male displays brightly colored plumage during the breeding season to attract a mate.

Xeno-canto: Bird songs, sound recordings, bird range and migration map: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Spinus-tristis

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/amegfi

The Cornell Lab: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/

Audubon Guide to North American Birds: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-goldfinch

My favorite photo/observation of female American Goldfinch: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/218957847

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COMPARED TO

Lawrence's Goldfinch (Spinus lawrencei) is a small, migratory songbird in the Siskins and New World Goldfinches (Spinus) genus. It is "unique among goldfinches because of its mostly gray body. Male has black forehead and throat, yellow breast, and complex black and yellow pattern on wings. Female is duller. It is found in open grassy woodland. It is uncommon, but sometimes travels in large flocks, especially in fall and winter. Highly erratic, moves around a lot from year-to-year; difficult to track down with much reliability. Feeds on seeds. Sometimes visits feeders."

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/lawgol

Link to my favorite observation of Laurence's Goldfinch https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/216038130

Xeno-canto: Bird songs, sound recordings, bird range and migration map: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Spinus-lawrencei

The Cornell Lab: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lawrences_Goldfinch/

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/lawrences-goldfinch

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, pp. 442-443.

Visual comparison of 4 species of Spinus: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/search/?q=Spinus+lawrencei

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BIRDS (Annotated References)

The Cornell Lab (Birds in U.S. and Canada, includes Compare with Similiar Species) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/

Xeno-canto: Bird songs, sound recordings, bird range and migration map: https://xeno-canto.org/about/xeno-canto

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/bird-guide

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/explore

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008

Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society

Merlin Bird ID: How to use/get the portable App (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Comprehensive Feather I.D. tools and more: https://foundfeathers.org/resources/

Found Feathers (Worldwide): https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php

Bluebirds come around most evenings for a bath in the simple Pyrex dish birdbath. Today there were 3.

Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) Native, migratory songbird in the Thrushes (Turdidae) family that is 18cm (7 inches) long. Adult male tail, upper parts and throat are deep blue. Breast sides and flanks are chestnut colored, and belly and undertail coverts are gray. Female is duller, brownish gray above, breast and flanks tinged with chestnut, throat is pale gray. Nests in holes in trees and also in nest boxes. Bluebirds are year round residents in local (Monterey County) oak woodlands. Several nesting boxes can be seen in Toro County Park (Monterey County, CA). Diet is mostly insects and berries. Often forages by perching fairly low and flying down to ground to capture insects, sometimes hovering briefly before pouncing. May catch insects in mid-air, or may seek them among foliage. Perches or flutters among branches to take berries.

Breeding: "The western bluebird nests in cavities or in nest boxes, competing with tree swallows, house sparrows, and European starlings for natural nesting locations. Because of the high level of competition, house sparrows often attack western bluebirds for their nests. The attacks are made both in groups or alone. Attacks by starlings can be reduced if the nesting box opening is kept to 1.5 in (38 mm) diameter to avoid takeover. Nest boxes come into effect when the species is limited and dying out due to the following predators: cats, raccoons, possums, and select birds of prey such as the Cooper's hawk. Ants, bees, earwigs, and wasps can crawl into the nesting boxes and damage the newborns. Western bluebirds are among the birds that nest in cavities, or holes in trees, or nest boxes. Their beaks are too weak and small to dig out their own holes, so they rely on woodpeckers to make their nest sites for them."

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/species/wesblu/

The Cornell Lab (Birds in U.S. and Canada, includes Compare with Similiar Species) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Bluebird/

Xeno-canto Bird songs, sound recordings, and species range map: https://xeno-canto.org/species/Sialia-mexicana

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/western-bluebird

Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society, p. 368.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017, pp. 408-409.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008, p. 310-311.

Merlin Bird ID (great app available for mobile devices) by The Cornell Lab (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Comprehensive Feather I.D. tools and more: https://foundfeathers.org/resources/

Found Feathers (Worldwide): https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php