Wild Bird Guide: American Goldfinch (Wild Bird Guides) [Paperback]

Alex L. A. Middleton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wild Bird Guides | Publication Date: July 1, 1998

& 170 color photos & 7 x 9 . Complete description of life cycle and activities in the wild. Brilliant, hard-to-capture images from leading nature photographers& Straightforward, concise text by an expert Praise for Black-capped Chickadee and Northern Cardinal "This series will find a welcome place in bird-watching's storehouse of literature." --Pete Dunne "Read these books and you will be prepared to observe much more than the casual observer ever notices afield." --Howard Robinson, American Bird Watcher "Even those intimately familiar with the birds will find a great deal of information here, and those who have only a passing acquaintance will find these books a valuable resource and a pleasure to read. The photographs . . . are uniformly excellent, and many of them are stunning." --Eirik A. T. Blom, Bird Watcher's Digest With its bright yellow plumage, appealing song, and late-season nesting habits, the American Goldfinch is a welcome backyard visitor in North America. This fourth book in Stackpole's Wild Bird Guides series provides a detailed, insightful examination of the goldfinch's behavior and natural history, including mate selection, brooding and nesting habits, methods of communication, interaction with other species, and dramatic seasonal plumage changes. Alex Middleton, professor of zoology at the University of Guelph, has written extensively on the American Goldfinch and other species. He is the coeditor of The Encyclopedia of Birds and a contributor to The Birds of North America series. He lives in Ontario. Also in the Wild Bird Guides series: & Black-capped Chickadee by Susan M. Smith & Northern Cardinal by Gary Ritchison & Tufted Titmouse by Thomas C. Grubb, Jr. & Downy Woodpecker (available Spring 1999) & Ruby-throated Hummingbird (available Fall 1999) & Red-tailed Hawk (available Spring 2000)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

A lovely book about one of America's favorite backyard feeder birds, American Goldfinch (in the Wild Bird Guides series) is a very good introduction to the species. Middleton's years of research on goldfinches show in the wealth of information provided in this book. Divided into seven chapters covering such broad topics as breeding, foods and feeding, and behavior, the story is told in the form of long captions illustrating large color photos. Although the episodic nature of the captions can make for some choppiness in the narrative, the use of the index will allow the location of any specific facts required. The numerous color photos work well with the text. Goldfinches have expanded their range northward and have become more common, with increasing numbers surviving winter because of the increasing frequency of bird feeding, and this new guide to their behavior and lifestyle will be eagerly read by all who are interested in birds. Nancy Bent

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; 1st edition (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811726878
• ISBN-13: 978-0811726870
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,599,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what dies a goldfinch have in common with a squirrel, September 3, 2008

By 

Douglas E. Libert "howitt" (parkersburg wv) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wild Bird Guide: American Goldfinch (Wild Bird Guides) (Paperback)

They both can store food in pouches in their mouths for later digestion or feeding of young.That's why your thistle seed feeder goes dowm so fast during their mating season.(Goldfinch have expensive tastes as the author states.)The Goldfinches spend about 17% of their time on wing maintainence(preening)because in the wilds buff wings are critical.They are only tropical gold during mating season and only the males develop the rich colors.Also the males will bring food to the females and the chics during nesting.the Goldfinch couple permit another male finch called an Beta male to hang around for an emergency and the female may have another brood later in the season to the beta male.If you have a cat around your feeder(as long as the cat can't reach it) the goldfinches will adapt and ignore any ground predator.
The books are made for adult readers and go into alot of detail about molting and nesting habits as well as discussing goldfinch language and etiquette.This is just simply a great series,short ,sweet,inexpensive,detailed without being boring and can be read by adults or children.
By the way if you have begun feeding the goldfinch in your area you may have started a new vocation for yourself.The goldfinches fat reserves can only hold out maybe a day and a half and winters can be cruel.So stock up on thistle over the winter.Cha-chinga!!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American goldfinch, March 1, 2005

By 

K Scheffler (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wild Bird Guide: American Goldfinch (Wild Bird Guides) (Paperback)

The American goldfinch is a bird that I am not all that familiar with and I was pleased to see that the species has been profiled in the Wild Bird Series. Similar to the domesticated canary, the male American goldfinch is readily recognized because of its striking yellow and black plumage. The goldfinch is a bird that can be easily attracted to the backyard by stocking a feeder with thistle-like seeds. (It is largely due to feeders that the American goldfinch is so recognizeable to most, as it has made the species much more common.) As with the other books in the series, the photographs are excellent, but unlike some of the other titles, the text is somewhat more substantial. Overall, and excellent book, truly a joy to read.