Lesser Goldfinches on my Cosmos Plants
by James K. Sayre
2002
In March and April of this year I made a couple of plantings of the traditional pink, red, purple and white Cosmos flowers in my backyard garden, which is located in coastal northern California. The Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) grew to several feet in height and then began blooming (in about four months) and as the ripening flowers gave way to seedheads, a small flock of Lesser Goldfinches began to harvest the seeds.
The Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psalis) is a small handsomely colored bird with a gold breast and greenish-to-blackish wings and back, along with some black and white markings. The female is a draber version of the male.
It typically feeds on seeds and small insects that are found on weeds, grains, grasses and flowers that are found in fields, meadows and gardens. The Lesser Goldfinch is little smaller than a House Finch or an English Sparrow, and can sometimes be confused with other Goldfinches, due to the similarity of its coloration and its acrobatic maneuvers in its search for seeds.
Lesser Goldfinches are permanent residents of California and the southwest, having a varying supply of seeds and small insects, such as aphids and catepillars, that seasonally available. In the spring and summer, they nest in shrubs and low trees and produce several eggs. They fly in the fashion typical of other Goldfinches, with a characteristic undulating wave motion.
The Lesser Goldfinches seem to show up most every day to feed on the Cosmos seeds. Sometimes only one individual comes, other times several birds come. They seem to be a family or a small flock. They don't seem to tolerate the nearby presence of people. I have never seen Lesser Goldfinches at a bird feeding station. Lesser Goldfinches have several other folknames, including Arkansas Goldfinch, Arkansas Greenback, Dark-backed Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Goldfinch, Green-backed Goldfinch, Mexican Goldfinch, Shiner and Tarweed Canary.
Lesser Goldfinches breed in western North America, ranging from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, south into California and the southern Rockies, th Southwest and down through Mexico, Central America and into western South America.
The local English Sparrows (Passer domesticus), which hang out in shrubs and low trees and feed at my backyard feeders seem to watch the Lesser Goldfinches feed on the Cosmos seeds, but just can't seem to bring themselves to try to imitate the Goldfinches feeding acrobatics.
The Cosmos, with their flowers of pink, red, purple and white are an easily grown annual garden plant. Their scientific name is Cosmos bipinnatus and they are in the Daisy family (Asteraceae) and are native to Mexico. They may grow to over six feet high and produce flowers for several months. Several cultivars exist.
Sample entries from the author's book, North American Bird Folknames and Names, may be viewed at www.bottlebrushpress.com.
30 October 2002
End.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please feel free to Email the author at sayresayre@yahoo;com. sayresayre@yahoo.com
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Contact author James K. Sayre at sayresayre@yahoo.com. Author's Email: sayresayre@yahoo.com
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Web page last updated on 7 May 2003.