By Hailey Zacharias By Hailey Zacharias St. Francois Xavier St. Francois Xavier 11/10/07 11/10/07

The goldfinch eats mostly seeds of grasses weeds and other plants. It also eats seeds from trees like birch trees, alder trees and elm trees. It eats during the day. Goldfinches usually eat seed that are on a plant. The goldfinches long legs and sharp claws help it to perch on plants.

Goldfinches live in weedy fields, floodplains, cultivated land, orchards, and gardens.

The Goldfinches winter and breeding range includes southern Canada, most of the continental United States and some parts of Mexico. Goldfinches can be seen all year on the upper east coast, on the west coast and in the mid- section of the United States.

The goldfinch mates later than most birds. It is mostly eats seeds and it doesn’t nest until late summer when there are lots of seeds from weeds and other plants. Because it mate so late in the year it usually lays one brood a year.

Goldfinches are very sociable birds and usually fly in flocks with other birds. Some populations are distance migrators and move south in the winter like most birds.