The American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is a small songbird found commonly across North America. Goldfinches are colorful birds with bright yellow body plumage and black and white wings. These sociable birds are frequently seen in flocks, especially when feeding. Goldfinches have a unique diet compared to many other backyard birds. Their diet consists primarily of seeds, particularly those from plants in the daisy family such as thistles and sunflowers. This has many backyard birders wondering: do American goldfinches eat sunflower seeds? The quick answer is yes, American goldfinches readily eat sunflower seeds.
What Do American Goldfinches Eat?
The American goldfinch is considered a granivorous bird, meaning it feeds mainly on seeds. Here are some of the top foods in a goldfinch’s diet:
- Sunflower seeds – Goldfinches are especially fond of oil-rich black oil sunflower seeds.
- Nyjer seeds – Also called thistle seed, nyjer is a tiny black seed that goldfinches adore.
- Safflower seeds
- Millet
- Grass and weed seeds
- Fruits and berries – Goldfinches sometimes supplement their seed diet with small fruits and berries.
- Insects – Goldfinches feed insects like aphids to their young to provide protein.
As you can see, a wide variety of small seeds make up the bulk of a goldfinch’s diet. These small songbirds are well adapted for eating tiny seeds. Their conical beaks are perfect for cracking open seed shells to access the inner seed material. So sunflower seeds are certainly on the menu for American goldfinches.
Why Do Goldfinches Like Sunflower Seeds?
There are a few key reasons why American goldfinches like sunflower seeds so much:
- High fat content – Sunflower seeds are very high in fat, especially unsaturated fats. This provides goldfinches with the energy they need to maintain their hyperactive lifestyles.
- Small size – The small size of sunflower seeds is easy for goldfinches to handle and crack open with their petite beaks.
- Abundance – Sunflowers produce an abundance of seeds, providing a reliable food source for goldfinches across their range.
- Nutrient rich – In addition to fat, sunflower seeds provide goldfinches with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Given their tiny size and high activity levels, American goldfinches need to eat frequently to satisfy their fast metabolisms. Sunflower seeds provide an energy-dense and readily available food source.
Best Types of Sunflower Seeds for Goldfinches
Not all sunflower seeds are equal when it comes to goldfinch appeal. Here are some of the best types of sunflower seeds to offer goldfinches:
- Black oil sunflower seeds – The thin black shells and high fat content make these most attractive.
- Hulled sunflower seeds – Easier for goldfinches to eat than seeds still in the shell.
- Sunflower chips – These small chunks of sunflower seeds also save goldfinches effort.
- Nyjer seeds – Related to the sunflower family, nyjer seeds are a goldfinch favorite.
In general, seek out small, oil-rich sunflower seeds out of the shell. This makes it simplest for goldfinches to access the nutritious inner seed.
Best Ways to Offer Sunflower Seeds to Goldfinches
If you want to attract American goldfinches to your backyard, offering sunflower seeds is a sure way to get their attention. Here are some tips:
- Use tube feeders designed for small seeds. Platform feeders work too.
- Avoid mixed seed blends which contain filler seeds goldfinches won’t eat.
- Offer sunflower seeds year round as goldfinches don’t migrate away for winter.
- Also provide nyjer seed which goldfinches favor alongside sunflower seeds.
- Place feeders near trees or shrubs where goldfinches can perch and feed.
- Keep feeders filled consistently as goldfinches empty them quickly.
Offering sunflower seeds in a specialized tube feeder is the best approach. The small openings are sized just right for tiny goldfinch beaks. Place the feeder near natural cover so goldfinches have a safe place to retreat to after visiting your feeder.
Do Goldfinches Eat Sunflower Seeds From Sunflowers?
In the wild, American goldfinches rely heavily on seeds from plants in the daisy and thistle families. This includes the seeds from maturing sunflower heads. Goldfinches are perfectly adapted to harvest these seeds right from the flower heads.
Goldfinches have a couple methods for getting sunflower seeds directly from flowers:
- Climb on mature sunflower heads and pluck out seeds
- Glean seeds from sunflower heads as they fall to the ground
- Forage fallen seeds from the ground under the flowers
So while goldfinches certainly make use of seed feeders provided by humans, they have their own time-tested strategies for collecting sunflower seeds straight from the flowers.
When Do Goldfinches Feed on Sunflower Seeds?
American goldfinches feed on sunflower seeds throughout the year as a staple food source. However, sunflower seeds become an even more vital part of their diet at certain times annually:
- Late summer/Fall – Goldfinches rely heavily on sunflower seeds as other natural sources diminish heading into winter.
- Winter – Sunflower seeds provide needed calories and fat during cold months.
- Spring – Goldfinches feed sunflower seeds to their young after breeding season.
By paying attention to when sunflowers in your area are maturing and going to seed, you can determine the times goldfinches are most likely to target them. Late summer through fall tends to be a peak feeding period.
Do Goldfinch Numbers Increase When Sunflowers Seed?
Since American goldfinches rely so heavily on seeds from the sunflower family, their numbers tend to concentrate around seeding sunflowers in late summer and fall. When sunflowers and other daisy family members begin maturing and producing seeds, goldfinches flock to the area.
Backyard birders often notice a spike in goldfinch activity and numbers around their sunflowers when they go to seed. The goldfinches arrive to harvest the bounty of seeds. This increased concentration of birds occurs because goldfinches communicate with others and attract them to abundant food sources.
So if you want to see more goldfinches, let some sunflowers mature and go to seed in your garden. Just be prepared for busy flocks of goldfinches to descend on them!
Do Goldfinches Eat All Types of Sunflower Seeds?
American goldfinches will feed on just about any variety of sunflower seeds they encounter. However, some types are more attractive as forage than others:
- Oilseed sunflowers – Smaller seeds with thin hulls and high oil content are goldfinch favorites.
- Giant sunflowers – Large seeds are more difficult for goldfinches to handle and feed on.
- Black oilseeds – The small size and thin black hulls make these seeds very accessible.
- Striped sunflowers – Another smaller thin-hulled type goldfinches can easily crack open.
In general, goldfinches prefer smaller sunflower varieties where they can easily access the meaty inner seeds. But during winter when food is scarce, goldfinches will feed on any sunflower seeds they can get.
What Are Some Favorite Goldfinch Sunflower Seed Varieties?
If you want to plant sunflowers specifically to attract American goldfinches, here are some top varieties to choose:
- Black Oil
- Chocolate Cherry
- Florenza
- Musicbox
- Sundance Kid
- Teddy Bear
All these sunflower varieties produce relatively small seeds with thin hulls that appeal to foraging goldfinches. Going with a mix of different sunflower types will give goldfinches variety through the seasons.
Do Goldfinches Eat Sprouted Sunflower Seeds?
Sprouted sunflower seeds are edible for humans. But do American goldfinches eat sprouted sunflower seeds? The answer is no, goldfinches don’t typically eat the sprouts.
Goldfinches and other seed-eating birds are after the nutritious inner kernel inside the hulls. They have specialized tools like cone-shaped beaks to crack open hulls and access seeds.
When sunflower seeds sprout, it makes the inner seeds more difficult for goldfinches to access. Goldfinches focus their feeding efforts on sunflower seeds in their dry, unsprouted state.
However, sprouted sunflower seeds are soft and ideal for other backyard birds like sparrows, doves, and quail that prefer this type of food.
Do Goldfinches Break Open Sunflower Seed Hulls Before Eating?
American goldfinches have evolved specialized beaks and feeding behaviors to get the nutritious inner sunflower seeds out of the outer hulls. Here is the sunflower seed feeding process:
- Goldfinch grasps sunflower seed from plant, ground, or feeder in its beak
- It holds the seed steady against a perch with its feet
- The goldfinch cracks open the hull with its conical beak by applying pressure
- Once hull splits open, goldfinch extracts and eats the inner seed
- The empty hulls are discarded
This methodical hull-cracking behavior is quite common among goldfinches and similar birds like pine siskins. Only the tiny inner seeds contain the calories and nutrients goldfinches need, not the fibrous hulls. Watching goldfinches deftly crack seeds is part of the enjoyment of feeding them.
Do Goldfinches Eat Sunflower Seed Shells or Hulls?
American goldfinches only consume the meaty inner seed of sunflower seeds, not the outer hull or shell. The hull is simply packaging that provides protection to the seed as it develops.
Goldfinch beaks have specialized for removing and cracking through these protective seed coatings to access the embryo inside. The hulls themselves have low nutritional value and are discarded.
In fact, goldfinches (and many other birds) will preferentially pick smaller sunflower varieties that have thinner, easier-to-crack hulls. This gives them faster access to the high-fat meaty seeds that provide energy.
So when you find empty black sunflower seed hulls on the ground or piled up under your feeder, it’s the handiwork of hungry goldfinches!
What Do Goldfinch Beaks Look Like?
The conical beak shape of American goldfinches is specialized for their seed-based diet. Here are some key features:
- Pointed, cone-shaped tip – Allows precision cracking of hulls
- Short, sharp top and bottom mandibles – Provide power to bite through tough seed coatings
- Downward curved tip – Ideal for pressing on and splitting seeds
- Small size – Fits tiny seeds like nyjer and broken sunflower chips
In many ways, a goldfinch’s beak works like a pair of pliers or a nutcracker. The sharp, interlocking mandibles apply focused pressure to crack through seed hulls with minimal effort. This allows goldfinches to make quick work of opening hundreds of tiny seeds every day.
Next time you see goldfinches feeding, take a moment to admire the excellent engineering of their slender beaks.
How Much Sunflower Seeds Do Goldfinches Consume in a Day?
The small size of American goldfinches belies their prodigious appetites. These energetic birds consume lots and lots of seeds daily to power their busy lives.
A single goldfinch may eat 30-50 sunflower seeds in a day. However, their intake varies based on the following factors:
- Time of year – Goldfinches eat more in winter to generate heat.
- Weather – Colder weather increases calorie needs.
- Activity level – More time spent flying or on the move burns more energy.
- Life stage – Nestlings and molting/growing finches have higher energy needs.
On an average day, an adult goldfinch likely eats 30-40 sunflower seeds. But when it’s freezing cold or they’re working hard to feed nestlings, goldfinches may double that intake to 70+ seeds daily!
Do Goldfinches Eat Sunflower Seeds at Night?
American goldfinches are diurnal birds, meaning they are active during the daytime. Goldfinches do most of their intense feeding on seeds early and late in the day. But you won’t see goldfinches cracking open sunflower seeds after dark.
At night, goldfinches become still and quiet as they roost in tucked away sleeping spots. Their locations include dense shrubs, trees, evergreens, and nesting boxes. Goldfinches may occasionally eat a late night snack, but they won’t expend much effort.
Goldfinches instead rely on their crop, an enlarged storage pouch in their esophagus, to provide energy through the night until breakfast. Their crop holds seeds consumed right before roosting.
So while goldfinches are sunflower seed-crazy during daylight hours, they take a break from feasting overnight to rest and digest.
Do Wild vs. Feeder Goldfinches Eat Different Sunflower Seeds?
Both wild and residential feeder goldfinches readily enjoy sunflower seeds. However, a few differences may exist between them:
- Wild goldfinches rely more on native sunflowers like Jerusalem artichokes.
- Feeder birds are accustomed to specific packaged seeds like black oil seeds.
- Wild goldfinches work harder to harvest seeds from plants.
- Backyard goldfinches expend less effort if seeds are shelled.
- Natural food availability varies more for wild birds.
But when it comes down to it, any goldfinch enjoys quality sunflower seeds regardless of their source. Both wild and residential goldfinches preferentially pick smaller, oil-rich sunflower seeds that are easy to handle.
If you want to attract more goldfinches, offering their favorite seeds in feeders is a sure bet whether the birds are wild or residential.
Do Goldfinch Pairs Share Sunflower Seeds When Courting/Nesting?
Sharing food is an important part of bonding between American goldfinch pairs. When goldfinches are courting and nesting, you may observe them passing sunflower seeds back and forth as they perch close together.
This adorable seed-sharing behavior serves some important purposes:
- Strengthens the pair bond between the mates
- Lets the male demonstrate his ability to provide food
- Gets the female energized and in top condition for nesting
- May be done as part of a courtship feeding display
If you see goldfinches feeding each other seeds, it’s a good sign a pair bond is forming and nesting may soon follow. Good nutrition provided by sunflower seeds helps ensure a healthy clutch.
Do Baby Goldfinches Eat Sunflower Seeds?
Sunflower seeds provide important nourishment for growing American goldfinch chicks. Adult goldfinches feed their babies a diet rich in seeds to promote healthy development.
Around 7-8 days after hatching, goldfinch nestlings open their eyes and mouths eagerly for food. At this stage, the parents start providing the chicks tiny seeds like nyjer and broken bits of sunflower.
These protein and oil-rich seeds help fuel rapid feather and muscle growth in the nestlings. The parents work hard to deliver seeds continuously to the hungry chicks.
Within two weeks, the young goldfinches are adept at shelling seeds themselves. At fledging age around 2-3 weeks, the juvenile birds rely on seeds like sunflowers to reach a healthy weight for leaving the nest.
So sunflower seeds are an integral part of baby goldfinch development starting soon after hatching through the fledgling stage. The nutrients ensure the chicks grow into healthy, energetic young goldfinches ready to learn independence.
Do Goldfinches Regurgitate Sunflower Seeds When Feeding Young?
Adult American goldfinches have a unique method for providing sunflower seeds and other foods to their nestlings. The adult birds swallow seeds and regurgitate them back up to feed the babies.
Here’s the regurgitation process:
- Parent consumes sunflower seeds and holds them in its crop storage pouch
- At the nest, the adult flexes its neck to bring up the soaked, softened seeds
- The partly-digested seeds are regurgitated into the hungry chick’s mouth
- The nestling swallows the nutritious seeds
Regurgitation makes it easier for the young birds to digest seeds. The adult’s crop enzymes begin breaking down the seeds’ outer coatings.
This method also limits trips away from the vulnerable chicks. The parents can carry lots of seeds in their crop pouch then efficiently deliver them directly to the babies.
So while messy, the regurgitation strategy is an effective way for goldfinch parents to ensure their chicks get proper nutrition.
Do Goldfinches Soften Sunflower Seeds in Their Crops Before Feeding Young?
To make sunflower seeds more digestible for their nestlings, adult American goldfinches use a neat trick. The adult birds soften up the seeds by carrying them in their esophageal crop pouch before feeding.
Here is the softening process:
- Parent goldfinch eats sunflower seeds and stores them in the crop organ
- Enzymes and moisture in the crop partially digest the hard outer seed hulls
- The parent regurgitates these softened seeds for the nestlings
- The tip of the chick’s beak absorbs the softened hulls more easily
The seed coatings provide protection for dormant seeds. But goldfinch chicks would struggle to digest them. So the adult goldfinches use their specialized crop organ to “pre-process” the seeds.
This crop adaptation makes the sunflower seeds more digestible and nutritious for rapidly growing nestlings. It’s just one of the clever strategies goldfinches use to raise their young.
Do Goldfinches Drink Water After Eating Dry Sunflower Seeds?
American goldfinches get most of their moisture from the foods they eat. But after eating dry seeds for extended periods, goldfinches also need to drink water. This helps them avoid dehydration.
Goldfinches tend to seek out water after bouts of prolonged sunflower seed feeding including:
- Very hot days when they’re eating more seeds
- During nesting when their feeding rates are high
- In winter when drier seeds make up more of their diet
Signs a goldfinch needs water include:
- Panting with its beak open
- Spending more time near water sources
- Appearing fluffed up and restless
Goldfinches drink by sucking up water and tilting their heads back to swallow. Offering clean, fresh drinking water year-round will attract thirsty goldfinches to your yard. They’ll appreciate a drink after snacking on your seed feeders.
Do Goldfinches Drink While Feeding on Seeds?
American goldfinches get most of the moisture they need from eating seeds like sunflowers. But goldfinches will also alternate drinking and eating when they have access to a good water source.
Switching back and forth between eating seeds and sipping water may provide some key benefits:
- Allows goldfinches to replenish bodily fluids
- Moistens their crops to help soften up additional seeds
- Provides a break from intense seed shelling activity
- Helps goldfinches maintain optimal energy
Having both seed feeders and a bird bath or water dripper in the same area makes this eating-drinking pattern easy for goldfinches. They can grab a quick drink mid-meal when the two resources are in close proximity.
So consider offering seeds and water together if you want to attract goldfinch families to your backyard. The goldfinches will happily zip back and forth between the feeder and water to fuel their active lifestyles.
Conclusion
American goldfinches and sunflower seeds go together like peas and carrots. These acrobatic songbirds thrive on sunflower seeds, which provide the fats and nutrients they need in a perfectly sized package.
Goldfinches will eagerly visit any yard that offers their favorite oil-rich black oil sunflower seeds. A specialized nyjer seed feeder placed near trees or shrubs is ideal for attracting them. Don’t forget to also provide a fresh water source to complement the seeds.
With the right sunflower seed and feeder offerings, you’ll be rewarded with a splash of gold, fluttering wings, and cheerful song from delighting goldfinches all year round. The cheery presence of these social birds will brighten up any backyard.