What Do American Goldfinches Eat? (Complete Guide)

American Goldfinch (Thorns) is an impressive little bird with its vibrant yellow coat trimmed in black. These birds flit around meadows, woodland edges and backyards across North America. You can often see them dangling back and forth to feed on tall golden coneflowers. But what do goldfinch eat? Insects or Seeds? Both, maybe?

The American Goldfinch is a herbivore. They eat the seeds of various trees and annuals. Birds love the seeds of black thistle and other goldenrods, such as asters and sunflowers. They also forage from elm, birch, alder, and northern cedar trees.

It might come as a surprise, but goldfinches aren’t keen on insects. They will eat various bugs when encountered. However, this usually happens by accident when the birds are foraging for seeds. American goldfinch eats seeds almost exclusively, with a few exceptions. Read on to discover more about this bird’s unique eating habits!

An American Goldfinch eating coneflower seeds

How do goldfinch find food?

Goldfinches are foragers who seek food by prowling around potential food plants to determine which plants have the most resources. After choosing one, the bird will perch on the plant and begin collecting and eating seeds from the seed heads. Occasionally, goldfinches hang upside down from branches or flowers to access hard-to-reach seeds.

Although they are small, perching on fragile plant stems can seem like a daunting task for these birds. Goldfinches, however, are adept at grabbing swaying plants with their feet while they pick seeds.

Once removed, the bird uses its mandibles to quickly tear apart the shell and eat the hard-earned food. Goldfinch will do this multiple times while balancing on the same plant.

Goldfinch looking for food

What time of day do goldfinch feed?

Goldfinches are daytime feeders. When birds aren’t nesting, they typically forage in flocks throughout the day. These flocks will visit meadows, forest edges, and even roadsides — full of thistles and other popular plant species.

What Do American Goldfinch Eat In Winter?

Throughout the winter, American Goldfinch will eat the seeds that are still attached to various thistles, asters, sunflowers and tree species. They’re even agile enough to extract seeds from small cones.

These birds also like to frequent bird feeders during the colder months. Wildflowers and trees may have fewer seeds and greater distances, but backyard feeders often provide a reliable food supply in relative safety.

Goldfinches like to travel in flocks in winter. These groups can number up to nearly 200 individuals and often include other species. The American tree sparrow and the black-crowned tit are among the birds that will live with the goldfinch. A flock of this size offers more security and also allows the birds to eat more since they spend less time on the lookout.

American Goldfinch eating seeds in winter

What do American goldfinch eat in summer?

During the summer months, American goldfinches eat a more varied diet.These birds often forage in meadows and other semi-open areas full of flowers Asteraceae family. They also feed on the buds of elm, birch, alder, and various fruit trees. Grass seed heads can also be used as normal food.

The American Goldfinch is also known to eat twigs and strips of bark from maple sap. These events occur less frequently, like birds eating insects. As mentioned earlier, goldfinches don’t often entertain insects. When eaten, it is usually during the summer when birds are foraging for the seeds.

These birds will continue to forage and forage in flocks in the warmer weather, even while nesting. Unlike in winter, however, flocks are reduced in number and often contain no other species.

A male American Goldfinch in summer plumage feeds on wild sunflower seeds

What Do American Goldfinch Eat?

Unlike the juveniles of most roosting birds, American goldfinch juveniles do not eat a mixture of seeds and insects. Instead, the parents feed them the seeds they regurgitate.

Both parents are involved in feeding their children. However, as the babies grow older, the female gradually reduces her role as food provider. The male takes most responsibility until the chicks leave the nest 11-17 days after hatching.

American Goldfinch feeding its fledgling chick

What is the best food for goldfinch?

American Goldfinches love thistle seeds, sometimes called nyjer seeds. Thistles are an excellent source of energy for these birds, which is one reason why thistles are available in seed mixes designed for finches.

The birds also get a lot of their nutrition from the seeds of other local plants. Asteraceae Families such as sunflowers, asters and coneflowers.

What seeds do American goldfinch eat?

American Goldfinch eats too much seed. Much of their diet consists of seeds from thistles, sunflowers, asters, and other plants in the Asteraceae family. They also forage for seeds from a variety of grasses and trees, such as birch, elm, alder, and cedar.

American Goldfinch Eating Thistle Seeds

What Do American Goldfinch Drink?

American Goldfinch drinking water. They do this by scooping up the liquid with their beaks and lifting their heads to swallow. These birds will drink from a variety of water sources, including dew collected from plants, birdbaths, shallow pools, and small streams. In winter, they can also be seen eating snow or drinking snowmelt.

Goldfinch drinking water from bird bath

How do I attract goldfinch to my garden?

Thistles are essential if you wish to attract American Goldfinch to your garden. However, many people may not want these prickly plants growing in their yard, especially if they are not native. In this case, you can offer packaged thistle or nyjer seeds in bird feeders designed for finches. These seeds are sterilized so they won’t germinate.

In addition to thistles, you can grow other seed-bearing plants, many of which have become garden favorites. These can include a mix of sunflowers, coneflowers, and asters — varieties that produce many beautiful flowers. You can also easily find native plants in your area.

A pair of goldfinches eating Nyjer seeds from a bird feeder

American Goldfinch Diet FAQs

Do Goldfinches Eat Safflower Seeds?

American Goldfinches do not like to eat safflower seeds because of their bitter taste. Many backyard birds dislike them.

Do American Goldfinches Eat Sunflower Seeds?

American Goldfinch will eat sunflower seeds. Along with thistles, sunflowers are one of birds’ favorite food sources. They are drawn to whole black oil sunflowers on their own or mixed with hulled sunflower seeds. Planting sunflowers can also attract goldfinch to your garden.

Do American Goldfinches Eat Butterflies?

Goldfinch will occasionally eat butterflies and other flying insects. These birds love seeds, but will occasionally eat insects when the opportunity presents itself. Often, insects are inadvertently eaten while foraging in the summer.

American Goldfinch eating seeds from a feeder

Do goldfinch eat suet?

Goldfinch eat suet. They often like to mix it with peanut butter. Serving suet with nyjer and sunflower seeds is a great way to attract these birds to your garden.

Do Goldfinches Eat Peanuts?

Goldfinches will eat peanuts in their shells. These can be mixed with other seeds, such as sunflower and thistle, to create combinations that are attractive to American goldfinch.

Do Goldfinches Eat Insects?

Goldfinches do not intentionally forage or prey on insects. When the insects are eaten, it is during the summer breeding season, when the insects are prevalent on the plants that these birds collect and eat seeds.

Male American Goldfinch eating sunflower seeds in the wild

Do Goldfinches Eat Berries?

Goldfinches will occasionally eat berries and fresh fruit. However, most of their diet consists of various plant and tree seeds.

Do Goldfinch Eat Mealworms?

Goldfinches were not known to eat mealworms. These birds are herbivores and therefore mainly feed on the seeds of various plants. They occasionally eat flying insects.

Do Goldfinches Eat Sunflower Hearts?

Goldfinches do eat sunflower hearts. Sunflower hearts and thistle blossoms are the bird’s star attractions at the feeder.