Middleton performed a comprehensive study on the molting of the American Goldfinch and published the results in “The Condor” in 1977, but Sibley’s website has translated that information into an informative, animated slide show demonstrating the Goldfinch’s unique molting process: This is the only finch that completely molts twice each year. The female is the primary architect, and she builds her masterpiece in less than a week. These birds are expert nest builders, weaving plant fibers and spider silk so tightly that the nest can hold water. ![]() Without insects in its diet, Cowbird chicks hatched in a Goldfinch’s nest will usually perish within three days. Cowbird chicks require insects in order to survive. It is rare that they will consume an insect. Goldfinches are rather strict vegetarians, eating mostly thistle and sunflower. Cowbirds may lay their eggs in a Goldfinch’s nest, and the egg may hatch, but the chick cannot survive. The American Goldfinch is one of the fortunate birds that cannot be tricked by the Brown-headed Cowbird into raising its young. It was painted in a unique style: it is a trompe-l’oeil or optical illusion when the painting is at eye level, it appears to be in three dimensions. ![]() The painting in the story is “The Goldfinch” by Rembrandt protege Carel Fabritius. “The Goldfinch”, a novel by Donna Tartt, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2014 and is about a boy who is obsessed with a painting of a goldfinch. Ornithologist Herbert Friedmann found the goldfinch in almost 500 works of art. The American Goldfinch and its less colorful namesake in Europe have been popular with artists and writers throughout time. This golden bird has the Midas touch! It has won the Pulitzer Prize, it was the muse of Rembrandt’s protoge, it defeats brood parasites with nothing more than a healthy diet, and it can build an indoor pool! American Goldfinch Photo by Jeff Timmons Author: Alexandra (Alex) Forsythe
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