Goldfinches Are Molting

Recently I received a text from a friend with a photo of a male goldfinch attached. My friend thought the bird looked odd because its back was brownish in color. Nope, nothing odd about the goldfinch – he’s just molting!

American Goldfinches molt all their feathers twice a year, once in early spring and again in early fall – now. In the springtime, males molt into the bright yellow feathers we associate with the species and in the fall their feathers become a drab brownish shade similar to female goldfinches. Females also molt twice a year, just not into the spectacular yellow of the males.

American Goldfinches are here year-round and can weather our harsh winters because their winter feathers are much denser than their summer feathers. These denser feathers hold warm air close to their bodies, helping to insulate them from the cold.

Did you know it’s not just their feathers that change color when American Goldfinches molt? Their legs, feet and beak also change color! In the spring and summer months they are orange but they turn a grayish brown in the fall – this is true of both male and female goldfinches.