European Goldfinch - Douglas

[Hugh Kingery]

Dan Moore in Parker contacted Denver Audubon, and then sent me photos of a European Goldfinch coming to his feeder.

It seems unlikely that this constitutes a wild bird that arrived on its own.

Any thoughts? Does anyone know of someone who might have kept one and from whom it escaped?

Hugh Kingery

[Ted Floyd]

Hey, all.

Thanks to Hugh for passing along word of the interesting recent record of a European Goldfinch from Parker, Douglas Co.

I wouldn't rule out the possibility that this bird is a pioneer from the exploding population in the Midwest. Maps below. First one shows just how prolific the species has become in and around Chicago; the orange stickpins are sightings in only the past 30 days. Second one shows detections in the northern Front Range metro region during a mini-outbreak in 2018.

The jury is out, I would say, on where the Colorado birds are coming from. One thing's for sure: We birders can valuably clarify what's going on with our observations, photos, and of course eBird checklists. Hard to believe, but Colorado's first Eurasian Collared-Dove was barely 25 years ago. Stuff happens, and sometimes it happens fast.

Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder Co.

European Goldfinches, Chicago.

European Goldfinches, Larimer & Boulder Cos., 2018.

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