The American bullfinch is a migratory bird native to North America. The male is bright yellow during the summer breeding months and olive green in the winter. The females have a dull yellowish-brown color that only brightens slightly in the summer. They feed almost exclusively on seeds, and their beaks are conical in shape, perfectly adapted to extracting seeds from seed heads. Although migratory, they travel relatively short distances. They spend the summer months in North America and migrate south through the United States and parts of Mexico as the weather cools.
• The American bullfinch is the state bird of New Jersey and Iowa, where it is known as the eastern bullfinch, and of Washington, where it is called the willow bullfinch. • The breeding season begins later in the year than in other native North American birds. This is thought to coincide with the abundance of seeds in the late summer months.
Characteristics • Length: 11–13 cm • Wingspan: 19–22 cm • Habitat: Weedy fields, meadows, floodplains, orchards, and gardens • Diet: Thistle and dandelion seeds. Seeds of alder, birch, and cedar. Bark and sap.