You can’t help but notice these active and acrobatic little birds with a short, conical bill and a small, head, long wings, and short, notched tail, especially this time of year.

Photo submitted by Floyd Seitz

Adult male Finches in spring and early summer are bright yellow with black forehead, black wings with white markings, and white patches both above and beneath the tail. The adult female Finches are duller yellow beneath, olive above.

Finches fly with a bouncy, undulating pattern and often call in flight, drawing attention to them with their po-ta-to-chip flight call. They’re most abundant in areas with thistle plants, and near feeders clinging to weeds and seed socks, and sometimes milling about in large numbers at feeders or on the ground beneath them.

These birds are attracted to yards with native thistles and other composite plants, as well as native milkweed and are known to nest later in the season – July through September.

You can attract Finches to your birdfeeders with plenty of sunflower chips and plain thistle.

Almost any kind of bird feeder will attract Finches (hopper, platform, and hanging feeders) and these birds don’t even mind feeders that sway in the wind. They are also happy to feed on the ground below feeders, eating spilled seeds. To help protect Finches from contagious diseases at feeders, be sure to keep the ground below them well-raked.

Shop Backyard Birds

Finch Favorite
$11.95 / 5lb Bag

Sunflower Chips
$12.95 / 5lb Bag

Plain Thistle
$9.95 / 5lb Bag

About Backyard Birds

Backyard Birds is an independent, family-owned wildlife specialty store founded by the late Roger Ford in 1996. We offer everything you need from creating an inviting wildlife habitat to finding unique gift items for nature lovers.

Visit our store and meet our friendly, knowledgeable staff. We are passionate about birding and would be happy to answer any questions. Give us a call or stop by our store to tell us when you’ve spotted those migrating birds in your backyard. We enjoy hearing from you!

Laurie Horne, Owner