{"id":115800,"date":"2023-09-11T04:17:36","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T10:17:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=115800"},"modified":"2023-09-11T04:17:36","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T10:17:36","slug":"one-chonky-american-goldfinch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/09\/11\/one-chonky-american-goldfinch\/","title":{"rendered":"One Chonky American Goldfinch"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I was at Farmington Bay WMA last week, I had a chonky American Goldfinch fly in and land on a greasewood in front of me. Of course, I took photos of it.<\/p>\n

\"ChonkyChonky American Goldfinch \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The goldfinch, in nonbreeding plumage, didn’t look chonky when it flew in, but it did shortly after landing. The finch began to fluff and preen and that is why it looks chonky.<\/p>\n

“Chonky<\/span><\/a>” is a playful term used for describing something, including birds and animals, as chubby, pudgy, or plump.<\/p>\n

Some of the American Goldfinches I have been seeing look a touch bedraggled right now. This is because they are molting into their duller winter plumage. I don’t mind their messy appearance any more than they would mind seeing me first thing in the morning with my wild hair. Which is to say, not at all.<\/p>\n

Since it has gotten cooler in the highest parts of the mountains, some of the American Goldfinches that have spent the summer in the high country may be headed for the warmer valleys.<\/p>\n

It was fun to see both Lesser and American Goldfinches at Farmington Bay WMA last week. American Goldfinches are found throughout most of the U.S. and some parts of Canada and Mexico. Lesser Goldfinches are found primarily in the western U.S. and Mexico.<\/p>\n

There are seeds on greasewoods that both finch species like to eat. Greasewoods also offer shelter from overhead predators, and as seen in my photo, a place to fluff and preen.<\/p>\n

I hope to find Lesser and American Goldfinches feeding on wild and cultivated sunflower seeds in the upcoming weeks. In fact, I’m very much looking forward to that!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my American Goldfinch photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I was at Farmington Bay WMA last week, I had a chonky American Goldfinch fly in and land on a greasewood in front of me. Of course, I took photos of it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":115797,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2715,27,1022,697,26],"tags":[4004,2716,14345,3504,3495,4309,6198,6199,1830,6583,4094,4246,4104,1831,2717,2315,4095],"class_list":["post-115800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-goldfinches","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-american-goldfinch","tag-chonky","tag-finch","tag-finches","tag-fluffed-up","tag-goldfinch","tag-goldfinches","tag-greasewood","tag-leaves","tag-marsh","tag-nonbreeding-plumage","tag-perched","tag-sarcobatus-vermiculatus","tag-spinus-tristis","tag-summer-3","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/american-goldfinch-summer-chonky-mia-mcpherson-9428.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-u7K","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":117113,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/10\/17\/male-lesser-goldfinch-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":115800,"position":0},"title":"Male Lesser Goldfinch Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I was thrilled to take several male Lesser Goldfinch images on my last trip to Farmington Bay WMA. It was a bright, sunny day, and I was enjoying it and myself.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Lesser Goldfinch perched on a greasewood, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/lesser-goldfinch-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-4279.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/lesser-goldfinch-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-4279.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/lesser-goldfinch-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-4279.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/lesser-goldfinch-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-4279.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":97217,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/11\/11\/american-goldfinches-in-winter-plumage\/","url_meta":{"origin":115800,"position":1},"title":"American Goldfinches In Winter Plumage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I spent some time with American Goldfinches in their winter plumage in my viewfinder and had fun photographing them.","rel":"","context":"In "American Goldfinches"","block_context":{"text":"American Goldfinches","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/finches-and-allies\/american-goldfinches\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Goldfinch in winter plumage, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/american-goldfinch-winter-plumage-mia-mcpherson-2971.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/american-goldfinch-winter-plumage-mia-mcpherson-2971.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/american-goldfinch-winter-plumage-mia-mcpherson-2971.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/american-goldfinch-winter-plumage-mia-mcpherson-2971.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60573,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/09\/29\/lesser-goldfinch-perched-on-greasewood-at-farmington-bay-wma\/","url_meta":{"origin":115800,"position":2},"title":"Lesser Goldfinch Perched on Greasewood At Farmington Bay WMA","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Until three days ago I really haven't taken any decent images of Lesser Goldfinches that weren't at bird feeders but that changed when this one landed on a greasewood in front of me at Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lesser Goldfinch perched on Greasewood, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-0001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-0001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-0001.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-0001.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16257,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/10\/28\/there-is-gold-in-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":115800,"position":3},"title":"There is Gold in Utah – American Goldfinches!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Even though the American Goldfinches are in their non-breeding plumage now I still think of them as gold.","rel":"","context":"In "American Goldfinches"","block_context":{"text":"American Goldfinches","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/finches-and-allies\/american-goldfinches\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male American Goldfinch perched on a sunflower, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflower-mia-mcpherson-3689.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflower-mia-mcpherson-3689.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflower-mia-mcpherson-3689.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflower-mia-mcpherson-3689.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61687,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/11\/26\/upside-down-winter-american-goldfinch-feeding-on-wild-sunflower-seeds\/","url_meta":{"origin":115800,"position":4},"title":"Upside Down Winter American Goldfinch Feeding On Wild Sunflower Seeds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 26, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I feel a little like this American Goldfinch this morning, meaning I feel like I am upside down because of issues on my web site that started just after I woke up at o'dark hundred.","rel":"","context":"In "American Goldfinches"","block_context":{"text":"American Goldfinches","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/finches-and-allies\/american-goldfinches\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Goldfinch hanging upside down to feed on wild sunflower seeds, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflowers-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1347.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflowers-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1347.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflowers-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1347.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflowers-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1347.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74982,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/10\/29\/male-lesser-goldfinches-and-common-sunflower-seeds\/","url_meta":{"origin":115800,"position":5},"title":"Male Lesser Goldfinches And Common Sunflower Seeds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday opportunity knocked when several Lesser Goldfinches flew in to knosh on wild sunflowers seeds near a road at Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Lesser Goldfinch lifting off, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-male-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-9714.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-male-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-9714.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-male-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-9714.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-male-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-9714.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}