Eastern Goldfinch Is The Official State Bird Of New Jersey. New Jersey designated the eastern goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) as the official New Jersey State Bird in 1935. The Eastern goldfinch is between 4.3 and 5.5 inches long and has a wingspan of about 7.5 inches. The bird has a small pink conical beak that turns bright orange during the spring molt. The male National Bird Of New Jersey is bright yellow, with a white rump visible during flight, while the female is primarily brown in color.
Young Eastern goldfinch has a dull brown back and a pale yellow underside. After a complete molt in the fall, the State Bird Of New Jersey grows plumage that is almost identical in color for both sexes. They are buff-colored below and olive-brown above. Their wings are black with white wing bars, and the black tail is etched with white. The face and neck are pale yellows, only a hint of the bright yellow of summer. During their first autumn and winter, the juveniles are wood brown above with buffy, rather than white, wing markings and dull black shoulders, which distinguish them from the adults.
The New Jersey State Bird Eastern Goldfinch is found throughout the United States. It is a short-distance migrant, as the northern population moves south during the winter. In the 1930s, the goldfinch was unsuccessfully introduced in Tahiti and Bermuda. The National Bird Of New Jersey goldfinch maintains a close relationship with humans, as the bird can be found in backyards and gardens, where they feed on bee balm, thistle, and zinnias.
Fact About Eastern Goldfinch:
- The Eastern Goldfinch changes from winter plumage to breeding plumage by a complete molt of its body feathers. It is the only member of its family to have this second molt in the spring; all the other species have just one molt each year in the fall.
- The Eastern Goldfinch is one of the latest nesting birds. It usually does not start until late June or early July, when most other songbirds are finishing with breeding.
- The Eastern Goldfinch is gregarious throughout the year. In winter The Eastern Goldfinch is found almost exclusively in flocks. Whether it maintains breeding territories is debatable.