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Goldfinch Male My inspiration for this watercolor was a photograph by Jerry Acton, a nature photographer from Berkshire, NY (visit http://www.jerryacton.com/). I changed little in my painting because his photograph had captured the jewel-like beauty of a male Goldfinch in peak breeding plumage perched in a budding cranberry bush. The American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis, is a migratory finch that ranges from southern Canada to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canadian border to Mexico during the winter. Goldfinches display sexual dimorphism in their coloration. The male is a vibrant yellow in the summer and an olive color during the winter months, while the female is a dull yellow-brown shade that brightens only slightly during the summer. These little birds prefer open country where weeds thrive, such as fields, meadows, flood plains, as well as roadsides, orchards, and gardens. Backyard birders attract them using feeders containing Nyjer thistle seed or by planting grasses and perennial plants with seed heads that finches prefer such as zinnias, cosmos, bee balm, or globe thistle. The original watercolor is in a private collection but limited edition prints and note cards are available. Click here for availability and price.