{"id":137134,"date":"2024-11-18T02:40:08","date_gmt":"2024-11-18T08:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=137134"},"modified":"2025-07-07T11:07:55","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T16:07:55","slug":"american-goldfinch-in-arkansas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/11\/18\/american-goldfinch-in-arkansas\/","title":{"rendered":"American Goldfinch In Arkansas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday morning, I photographed my first American Goldfinch here in Arkansas. The beautiful goldfinch unexpectedly landed over the feeder and surprised me.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Goldfinch in nonbreeding plumage in Arkansas \u2013 Canon R7, f9, 1\/400, ISO 2500, +0.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

My camera and lens were already focused on the feeder, so all I had to do was quickly raise the lens and take photos of the finch. Luckily for me, the goldfinch stuck around for a while, giving me plenty of time to take a nice series of images of this bird.<\/p>\n

This American Goldfinch is in their nonbreeding plumage.<\/p>\n

Did you know that American Goldfinches stand out from other goldfinch species because they molt their body feathers twice a year? They molt once in late winter and again in late summer.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Goldfinch on a fall morning in Arkansas \u2013 Canon R7, f9, 1\/400, ISO 2500, +0.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

In their nonbreeding plumage, these goldfinches can look a little different, different enough that new birders might even think they are a different species altogether.<\/p>\n

I haven’t seen an American Goldfinch<\/span><\/a> all summer long, I suspect they might move towards the mountains here to breed, but I am not completely sure about that. Checking on that will be in order for me.<\/p>\n

I’m learning so much about the birds here in Arkansas and in Oklahoma and loving every minute of it.<\/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":"

Yesterday morning, I photographed my first American Goldfinch here in Arkansas. The beautiful goldfinch unexpectedly landed over the feeder and surprised me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":137127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_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":""},"categories":[2715,13950,27,13951],"tags":[4004,2716,970,4620,13981,3504,3495,13931,6198,6199,4378,4246,4104,2717,15824,13966],"class_list":["post-137134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-goldfinches","category-arkansas","category-avian","category-sebastian-county","tag-adult","tag-american-goldfinch","tag-autumn","tag-fall","tag-feeder","tag-finch","tag-finches","tag-garden","tag-goldfinch","tag-goldfinches","tag-morning","tag-nonbreeding-plumage","tag-perched","tag-spinus-tristis","tag-suburban","tag-yard"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/american-goldfinch-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-7944.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-zFQ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":140506,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/02\/22\/winter-male-american-goldfinch\/","url_meta":{"origin":137134,"position":0},"title":"Winter Male American Goldfinch","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This male American Goldfinch caught my eye after the recent snowstorm here in Arkansas. Why? Because he's starting to molt into his breeding plumage.","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":"Winter male American Goldfinch starting to get his breeding plumage, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-goldfinch-male-molt-mia-mcpherson-4125.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-goldfinch-male-molt-mia-mcpherson-4125.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-goldfinch-male-molt-mia-mcpherson-4125.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-goldfinch-male-molt-mia-mcpherson-4125.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115800,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/09\/11\/one-chonky-american-goldfinch\/","url_meta":{"origin":137134,"position":1},"title":"One Chonky American Goldfinch","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 11, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","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":"Chonky American Goldfinch, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/american-goldfinch-summer-chonky-mia-mcpherson-9428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/american-goldfinch-summer-chonky-mia-mcpherson-9428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/american-goldfinch-summer-chonky-mia-mcpherson-9428.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/american-goldfinch-summer-chonky-mia-mcpherson-9428.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":117113,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/10\/17\/male-lesser-goldfinch-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":137134,"position":2},"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, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-goldfinch-winter-mia-mcpherson-5688.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-goldfinch-winter-mia-mcpherson-5688.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-goldfinch-winter-mia-mcpherson-5688.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/american-goldfinch-winter-mia-mcpherson-5688.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":103606,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/06\/24\/male-american-goldfinch-perched-above-a-creek\/","url_meta":{"origin":137134,"position":4},"title":"Male American Goldfinch Perched Above A Creek","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I am keeping my post short and simple with a male American Goldfinch in his breeding plumage perched high above a Wasatch Mountain creek.","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 and a bright blue sky, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/american-goldfinch-male-and-blue-sky-mia-mcpherson-9856.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/american-goldfinch-male-and-blue-sky-mia-mcpherson-9856.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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