The Migration of Yellow California Finches

Yellow California finches, also called lesser goldfinches or American goldfinches, migrate every year. With their yellow-gold color and well-known warble, these birds range all across the United States, with those in the lower regions migrating up to Canada for breeding season.

  1. Length of Migration

    • Migration is from California to the interior of British Columbia generally, between 800 and 900 miles on average. The migration happens in a haphazard way, with the grouping moving together but not staying on one direct flight path. The finches also hesitate to travel over large areas of water, and the flock will occasionally move around a large lake, straight or channel if they can. Some American goldfinches and lesser goldfinches continue to reside in California year-round however, especially in the northern part of the state.

    Breeding

    • The nesting season of California finches is from late June toward early July. This coincides with their migratory arrival in Southern Canada and the availability of food for the chicks. Every season each bird finds another to create a monogamous couple to raise the young.

    Time of the Year

    • Goldfinches reside in California during the winter months due to the lack of food in their breeding areas. They group together in large bunches when in California. This is generally between the middle of fall to late spring. They then move north to the Canadian border where they pair off.

    Locations

    • Although American goldfinches and lesser goldfinches are found throughout the United States, different regions have different migratory patterns and some stay in one location year-round.

    Plumage

    • California yellow finches have winter plumage while living south -- duller than the breeding colors and with more browns. However, as they begin to migrate north to the lower regions of Canada, goldfinches undergo a transformation by completely molting and growing out their breeding plumage, which is a bright yellow and crisp black. However, as they migrate back toward California in the fall, they molt completely a second time, to regain their winter plumage -- the only one in the finch family to do so. All others only have one molt in the fall.