What is the State Bird of Iowa? (And Why?)

Iowa is the 26th largest state in the United States by area and the 31st most populous. It is a mix of lush woodlands, wetlands and natural lakes. But what is Iowa’s state bird?

Iowa chose the American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis), also known as the Eastern Goldfinch, as its state bird in 1933. The little yellow canary, with its short, conical beak and short, forked tail, has become the state bird of Iowa, chosen to remain in the state even during the cold, harsh, snowy winters. The bird showed loyalty, and so did the Iowa.

Iowa’s state bird, the American Goldfinch

Why is the American Goldfinch the state bird of Iowa?

The Iowa Corn State chose the extremely loyal American Goldfinch (also known as the Wild Canary) as its state bird because of its commitment to spending year-round in the harsh Iowa environment. Most songbirds fly south for the winter, but the wild canary regularly delights Iowa residents with its song.

The Hawkeye state acknowledges this allegiance by making it its state bird. As in other states, the bird eats the seeds of allergy-causing weeds, such as ragweed, as well as dandelion, sunflower and evening primrose seeds. This doesn’t hurt the popularity of this little bird, which helps manage allergies and assists gardeners in controlling weeds.

When did the American Goldfinch become the state bird of Iowa?

Iowa waited until March 22, 1933, to name its state bird during the Iowa Legislative Session. The state shares the American Goldfinch as its state bird with Washington and New Jersey.

female american goldfinch

What does Iowa’s state bird look like?

These bright yellow birds are found throughout Iowa. They can be seen from a distance all year round as they maintain their plumage in the spring and summer. The male of the American Goldfinch grows a black beak and forehead. Females have olive-yellow plumage and brown tails and wings. Winter brings a change to the males, who take on the same coloration as the females. Both sexes grow to about 4.25 inches in length. The breast and upper body of the male bird are the same yellow as the female bird, but the rump of the male bird is white. Both sexes have pale legs.

The American Goldfinch measures 4.25 inches long from head to tail. Its wingspan ranges from 7.5 to 8.7 inches. These little birds don’t weigh much — just 0.39 to 0.79 ounces.

American Goldfinch perched on a branch

How are these birds behaving?

American Goldfinch is busy singing and foraging during the day. This active little bird searches for food with its mate or small flock.

Canaries mate for life. Males and females sing until they have children. Mom stopped singing when baby molted, but her baby learned to sing at six weeks old. The canary sings a rapid, high-pitched song that sounds a bit like the click, click, click of a machine gun fire. In fact, many Canary songs have inspired laser gun fires in video games.

Both males and females must reach a mature age to sing properly. Although they are taught at an early age, these birds don’t start performing until they are about nine months old.

Canaries can learn like humans. If a canary has no parents to teach it to sing, a human can teach it to sing. Even adult canaries that cannot sing can be trained to sing. The American Goldfinch, it turns out, is another bird that denies the behavior of the bird’s brain. These intelligent birds can learn to sing songs well as adults and can learn from other species.

Canaries make great pets. However, you should not attempt to trap wild canaries. Instead, buy canaries from a pet store, as these birds are bred for pet living. If you prefer your canaries to live outdoors, you can place a bird feeder to attract canaries to your yard. Store it with sprouted seeds, as this is a canary’s favorite meal. Birds kept indoors live 9 to 10 years, but outdoors, wild birds can live up to 16 years.

Eastern Goldfinch in winter

Do American Goldfinch Form Communities?

American Goldfinches form nuclear families. These monogamous birds mate for life. Once paired, they build nests together, often using milkweed, thistles, and other fibrous plants, as well as twigs and twigs to build their homes. They reproduce up to 3 times in their lifetime, with each female laying multiple eggs during pregnancy. The number of eggs in a clutch varies from two to seven per pregnancy. This means that a couple can have up to 21 children.

The American Goldfinch’s preference is to live in the same habitat year-round. Once they built their home, they wanted to stay there to support their family. Their nesting period starts from the end of June to the beginning of July. Their incubation period lasts about 15 days. Once the baby birds are mature, they fly out of the coop, so to speak. They leave the parent’s nest to repeat the same process to breed more canaries.

American Goldfinch on a backyard bird feeder

What Do American Goldfinch Eat?

Like many wild birds, canaries love weed seeds. They tend to eat seeds in nesting material. This means mostly thistle seeds, but also lots of ragweed seeds. You can place a bird feeder in your yard to attract these beauties with their favorite seeds. They really like niger seeds and sunflower seeds. You can find seed mixes made to attract these birds at most feed or lawn and garden stores. When they forage in the wild, these birds either search the ground or fly into bushes or bushes to search for their branches.