Lawrence's Goldfinch
Lawrence's Goldfinch has held roughly steady: down 4% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the Lawrence's Goldfinch
The Lawrence's Goldfinch (Spinus lawrencei) is a North American member of the Finches (Fringillidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–6.5 in long (11–16 cm) — a small songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 103 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 1 state, most concentrated in the Coastal California.
- Family
- Fringillidae · Forest birds
Notable Lawrence's Goldfinch Trends
No notable trend signals for Lawrence's Goldfinch. See the full index history below.
Lawrence's Goldfinch Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Lawrence's Goldfinch is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.03 (95% range 0.00–0.07). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±23.4%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| 2026 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| 2027 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| 2028 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| 2029 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
Where the Lawrence's Goldfinch Is Detected
BBS routes recording Lawrence's Goldfinch, sized by most recent count.
Lawrence's Goldfinch Population Trend by State
| California | -9% | 1970 | 103 |
Lawrence's Goldfinch Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Sierra Nevada | -94% | 1972 | 10 |
| Coastal California | +19% | 1970 | 80 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -80% | 1974 | 8 |
Lawrence's Goldfinch Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 4% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.