Why does the Goldfinch spot?

Hello birders,

As you may already know there will be changes coming this month of September in the birding world. The Goldfinch will be one of the more noticeable changes to look for. The Goldfinch will start to look spotty as they begin to molt. Their now beautiful bright yellow will change to a olive color for the males and a tan color for the females, these are their winter feathers. Our Goldies do not leave us in the winter they just change from the vibrant yellow to a much more drab color. You may also experience a disturbing looking Blue Jay, or Cardinal that appears to have lost all of their head feathers, not to worry all part of the molting process. Hope you have your finch feeders filled with frest Nyjer seed to help them through the molting process as it takes a lot of energy to put on those winter feathers! Enjoy the changes!

Laurie at Northland Nature Nest

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