[Birdtalk] Backyard Birdwatching - SLC - LESSER GOLDFINCH

[Kristin Purdy]

Jeff,

The Lesser Goldfinch's winter range expansion has gone largely unnoticed by 
researchers, but not by birders. Twenty or twenty-five years ago, Utah 
birders had to visit St. George to see Lesser Goldfinches in the state. All 
of us know that's not true anymore due to consistent sightings at our 
feeders throughout the year. Cache County is seeing them as well according 
to Val Grant's April post on the TopofUtah listserv:

http://secureserver.securesites.net/pipermail/topofutah/2008-April/000101.html

Even the latest field guide to be published, The Smithsonian Field Guide to 
the Birds of North America, only shows the species' year-round range in the 
state to be in Southwest Utah and around Salt Lake City.

However, one researcher, Alan E. Versaw, has noted especially the winter 
range expansion and has published two papers on the subject:

Versaw, A. 2000. Winter range expansion of Lesser Goldfinches. Journal of 
the Colorado Field Ornithologists.34:91-97.

You might be able to obtain a copy of this issue by writing to the journal 
editor, Nathan Pieplow, at npieplow at indra.com. I've done this before and I 
think there's a $5.00 fee.

Versaw, A. 2001. Winter Range Expansion and Identification of the Lesser 
Goldfinch. Great Basin Birds, 4(1) pp. 6-11.

This paper is available for members or by purchase from the Great Basin Bird 
Observatory's website, http://www.gbbo.org/index.htm.

You can also do your own research by using several online 
databases--Audubon's Christmas Bird Count database at the CBC website:

http://www.audubon.org/BIRD/CBC/hr/index.html

E-Bird is another good source to check the trend:

http://ebird.org/ebird/eBirdReports?cmd=Start

And a current CBC note, my CBC team logged 30 Lesser Goldfinches in 
southeast Ogden yesterday.

If all of this is waaaay too much info, just enjoy your Lesser Goldfinches 
and know that many of us have them year-round, too.

Kris

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jeff Bilsky
  To: Birdtalk
  Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 2:53 PM
  Subject: [Birdtalk] Backyard Birdwatching - SLC - LESSER GOLDFINCH


  At my feeders in Sugarhouse currently I have a very unusual looking female 
type housefinch with an all white head. I took a couple photos - I'll 
forward on later. Also, have a LESSER GOLDFINCH hanging out. Someone who 
knows something about their habits please comment on how unusual this would 
be for this time of year in Salt Lake City. Sibley says summer. Thank you.

  -- 
  Jeff Bilsky
  Salt Lake City
  jbilsky at gmail.com





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