Every bird watcher and nature observer has his or her "lists." Here are mine for Birds, Insects, Mammals, Plants, Reptiles, and Crustaceans, complete with pull down menus.
BIRDS
Categorized by genus/species, placed chronologically by common name
American Coot
American Crow
American Goldfinch
American Kestrel
American Robin
American Tree Sparrow
American White Pelican
Bald Eagle
Baltimore Oriole
Barn Swallow
Belted Kingfisher
Black-Capped Chickadee
Black Vulture*
Blue Jay
Blue-Winged Teal
Bobwhite
Brown-Headed Cowbird
Brown Thrasher
Bufflehead
Canada Goose
Canvasback
Cedar Waxwing
Chipping Sparrow
Common Grackle
Common Goldeneye
Common Redpoll
Cooper's Hawk
Dark-Eyed Junco
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Goldfinch - See American Goldfinch
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Towhee
Eurasian Coot*
European Starling
Fox Sparrow
Gray Catbird
Graylag Goose
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Hairy Woodpecker
Harlequin Duck
Hermit Thrush
Herring Gull
Horned Lark
House Finch
House Sparrow
House Wren
Indigo Bunting
Killdeer
Lesser Scaup
Lincoln's Sparrow
Mallard (Domestic)
Mallard (Wild)
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal
Northern Flicker
Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
Northern Shoveler
Orange-Crowned Warbler
Palm Warbler
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
Red-Headed Woodpecker
Red-Tailed Hawk
Red-Winged Blackbird
Ring-Billed Gull
Ring-Necked Duck
Rock Pigeon
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Scarlet Tanager
Solitary Sandpiper
Song Sparrow
Spotted Sandpiper
Swamp Sparrow
Tufted Titmouse
Turkey Vulture
White-Breasted Nuthatch
White-Crowned Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
Wild Turkey
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
INSECTS, ARACHNIDS, MYRIAPODS & GASTROPODS
Categorized by family, placed chronologically by common name
American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis - also known as the Eastern Goldfinch (here in Iowa, anyway), Chardonneret jaune (French), Dominiquito viajero (Spanish), Dominiquito triste (Spanish).
As I’ve mentioned before, the American Goldfinch might be my favorite bird. It is the State Bird of Iowa, it is very common, and I love its little song and/or chirp, which always sounds like he is asking me a question. Plus, he’s fantastically colored… in the summer, that is. The above shot is of the male Amerian Goldfinch after he has completed his fall molt. Look here to see a photo of the American Goldfinch in his bright yellow and black-capped sumer plumage. American Goldfinches are the only bird in their family that molt twice a year. In the spring the males molt into a bright yellow with a black cap, while the females molt into a bright yellow. In the fall, the males molt into the above. The black cap disappears, the yellow dulls, and the cap, nape, and back take on an olive-brown color. Females look alike, but take on an olive-green color. Thus, American Goldfinches are distinguishable sex-wise throughout the year.
In Iowa, these guys stick around pretty much all year. They seem to be more abundant in the summer, feeding 10 - 20 at a time at a single feeder, but there will be plenty of them this winter, too, as long as I keep a nice stash of nyjer thistle out there (and some unfrozen water in the birdbath).
Great description of the plummage. I may have a female around my feeders that has taken on her winter plummage. I only saw the bird for a split second last week, but the olive-green color best describes the appearance of the bird I saw.
Karl - I have the hardest time distinguishing between male and female finches in the winter. I think there is a fine line between “brown” and “green.” Luckily, with photography, we can capture the bird’s image and give it a little study, which makes it a bit easier.
[...] Moe offers a photo and information about his favorite bird (maybe), the American Goldfinch. [...]
October 18th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
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This blog is about: Iowa, Illinois, Midwest, United States, nature, wildlife, animals, birds, ornithology, insects, bugs, entomology, Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island, Moline, Quad, City, Cities
LOL, great photo Moe.
October 9th, 2007 at 9:47 pmGreat description of the plummage. I may have a female around my feeders that has taken on her winter plummage. I only saw the bird for a split second last week, but the olive-green color best describes the appearance of the bird I saw.
October 9th, 2007 at 10:05 pmThanks, Liv. :)
Karl - I have the hardest time distinguishing between male and female finches in the winter. I think there is a fine line between “brown” and “green.” Luckily, with photography, we can capture the bird’s image and give it a little study, which makes it a bit easier.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:53 amGreat photo. I love the goldfinches too and so many come to the feeders..
sandy
October 11th, 2007 at 2:24 pm[...] Moe offers a photo and information about his favorite bird (maybe), the American Goldfinch. [...]
October 18th, 2007 at 6:02 pm