It’s been very dry in the west this year and that has brought with it a lot of problems. But one of the unexpected positives is that we are seeing a lot of goldfinches, both American and Lesser.

What’s the difference?

Above is an American Goldfinch male in his breeding plumage — yellow everywhere except the black crown of his head and his wings, which are black with white bars. Both sexes beak turns orange when breeding. American Goldfinches can be found breeding in the US and Canada.

These are Lesser Goldfinch males. Both are lemon yellow on their underside, with black on his head extending down his neck a little. The Lesser on the left, though, has lighter feathers on his back that appear green in some light. On the right, the Lesser male has black all the way down his back. Both Lessers have black wings with white bars, too. Lesser Goldfinches breed from the Rockies west to the Pacific Coast, with the black-backed coloring more common in the eastern part of it’s range, with the green-backed more common along the coast. The Front Range has both types of Lesser Goldfinches. I find Lessers to be more common than American here.

But what about the female goldfinches?

As usual, females are less colorful than the guys.

One of these is a female American Goldfinch, and one is a female Lesser Goldfinch. But I couldn’t see any obvious differences, anywhere. Depending on how I was feeling, I could make every drab goldfinch photo I had either all Lesser, or all American.

Finally, I went to the Birds Of the World website.

What BOW said was that American Goldfinches have a little patch of white under their tails. It’s hard to see when they aren’t in breeding plumage, but it’s there (above). Lesser Goldfinches have yellow to tan from head to under their tails — no white patch.

Although I couldn’t see the feathers under the tail, I originally had this tagged as an American Goldfinch because the bird was a little bigger, and the wing bars were a little bolder.

BOW said nope. Why?

That little wing bar. Only Lesser Goldfinches have that little wing bar.

ARE YOU KIDDING!!!

White butts and tiny wing bars.

I’m done now.

No I’m not.

I’m going to go out and try to find those wing bars and white butts. Because now I know.