Stokes Birds At Home Public TV series Check Show Times to see when the show is on in your area. Sign up for our free Email Newsletter to learn more about birds. Nesting Goldfinches American Goldfinch American Goldfinches breed later than most birds and are just beginning to nest in many parts of the country.
Males are now in their brightest yellow breeding plumage.
Watch for females collecting nesting material. Nests are constructed of bark strips from weeds and vines and held together with webbing from caterpillars or spiders. They are placed in forks of leafy bushes about 4-20 feet high. The female lines her nest with soft downy material such as fluff from willows, dandelions, or thistle. Goldfinches will bring their babies to your feeders in August and September, so keep your bird feeders stocked with thistle or sunflower seed.