Youngsters
get to know the young hero and the adventures
that carry him toward manhood. As they come to know Jeremiah as a friend who would
understand their own growing pains, they look forward to each book in the
series.
Teachers
will Achieve..
Teachers will appreciate the ways
that Jeremiah Stokely novels, kits, and activities make literature
meaningful to children. Teachers can download free classroom idea
packets to hold a hand-on workshop based on each book.
Click the >Play button
to listen to the bird's song!
American
Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
Length 5
in., Family Fringillidae (Finch)
This small songbird is found year-round in the U.S. and
Canada and, in winter, in northern Mexico. It is the state bird of Iowa, New
Jersey and Washington. The goldfinch is as common at parks and on farms as
in cities and suburbs. It is sometimes called “Wild Canary,” but it is a
true finch.
In spring, the male has lemon yellow courting plumage
with a dapper black cap. Both genders have black wings with white bars, but
the female has dull olive feathers and no cap. For winter, both molt to
brownish-olive.
Like all finches, they have thick, strong beaks and are
able to eat a variety of hard seeds. They prefer thistle and weed seeds, but
eat insects, too.
Unlike most birds, they wait until late summer, when
wild plant seeds are plentiful, to raise a family. The male flies in front
of the female, singing ardently. The impressed female builds a small nest in
a shrub or tree and lays four to six blue-white eggs. The male feeds his
mate while she incubates (warms) the eggs for two weeks. When they hatch,
both parents feed them. Two weeks after hatching, the babies “fledge” (leave
the nest). They spend the fall tagging along after their parents, feeding in
flocks with other goldfinches, until ready to strike out on their own.
There is a Lesser Goldfinch in the southwestern U.S.
and Mexico. It is smaller (4 ½”) and the males’ backs are dull green or
black, rather than yellow.
Goldfinches visit feeders year-round. Some people have
the patience to get them to eat from their hands!
