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Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria |
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| The Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) breeds across much of the western United States and Mexico. There are two distinct races in the U.S., the "black-backed" race in Texas and the "green-backed" race west of Colorado, including the Arizona birds. Males of both races are green-backed their first year, leading to many incorrect identifications of the green-backed race in Texas. To the right are two shots of different male green backed birds from Arizona taken in Tucson, Pima Co., Arizona, in April, 2003, with a Canon EOS 10D and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and 1.4X extender. |  |
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| The female Lesser Goldfinch on the right was a moulting bird in the Davis Mountains, Jeff Davis Co., Texas, during August, 1997. The shot was taken with a Canon T-90 and Sigma 500mm F/4.5 Lens on Fuji Sensia film. |  |
| The female Lesser Goldfinch here was also in the Davis Mountains of west Texas, but in June, 2005. This was a digital shot with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and 2X extender. |  |
| The next 4 shots were taken in Concan, Uvalde Co., Texas, in April, 2008, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and 2X extender. The bird shown here is a young molting male while two adult males are shown in the following shots. The 4th shot down is of a female. These birds are the black-backed race of lesser Goldfinch commonly seen in Texas and are quite different in appearance from the green-backed birds from Arizona shown above. |  |
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| The next 4 shots of Lesser Goldfinch were taken in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in February, 2010, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and an EF 800mm F/5.6 L IS lens. |  |
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| The next seven shots show a male Lesser Goldfinch, apparently of the southwestern "green-backed" form, at Bosque del Apache N.W.R., Socorro Co., New Mexico, in November, 2011. These shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and an EF 800mm F/5.6 L IS lens. |  |
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| The next two images show male Lesser Goldfinches at a thistle feeder in Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas, in February, 2012. |  |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male - left female - right Charro Ranch Park, Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 8 February 2014 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male - perched in Agarita (Mahonia trifoliata) Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 17 February 2015 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria female Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 19 February 2015 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria immature male Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 19 February 2015 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria female Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 19 February 2015 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 19 February 2015 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 25 February 2015 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 25 February 2015 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 25 February 2015 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria female Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 7 March 2015 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 7 March 2015 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male Four Points area. Austin, Travis Co., Texas 25 May 2016 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male Four Points area. Austin, Travis Co., Texas 25 May 2016 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male Four Points area. Austin, Travis Co., Texas 25 May 2016 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male Four Points area. Austin, Travis Co., Texas 25 May 2016 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male Four Points area. Austin, Travis Co., Texas 25 May 2016 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria male Four Points area. Austin, Travis Co., Texas 25 May 2016 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria female at thistle plant Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 4 May 2017 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria female at thistle plant Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 4 May 2017 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria female at thistle plant Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 4 May 2017 |
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| Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria female Dripping Springs, Hays Co., Texas 1 January 2018 |
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