American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch has declined: down 39% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the American Goldfinch
A small, bright-yellow finch of weedy fields and gardens, the American Goldfinch is a near-strict vegetarian that nests late to match the summer seed crop.
- Size
- 4.5–5.5 in long, about 0.5 oz (11–14 cm, 13 g)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Almost exclusively seeds, especially thistle and other composites.
- Range
- Recorded on 3,018 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 46 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Fringillidae · Forest birds
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Notable American Goldfinch TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for American Goldfinch. See the full index history below.
American Goldfinch Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, American Goldfinch is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 5.8 (95% range 3.9–7.7). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±11%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the American Goldfinch Is Detected
BBS routes recording American Goldfinch, sized by most recent count.
American Goldfinch Population Trend by State
American Goldfinch Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
American Goldfinch Conservation Status
Least Concern
The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it down about 39% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.