Data Zone
Taxonomic note
Spinus tristis (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) was previously placed in the genus Carduelis following AOU (1998 & supplements); Sibley & Monroe (1990, 1993); Stotz et al. (1996).
Taxonomic source(s)
AOU. 1998. Check-list of North American birds. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
Stotz, D. F.; Fitzpatrick, J. W.; Parker, T. A.; Moskovits, D. K. 1996. Neotropical birds: ecology and conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | low |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 11,300,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 12,400,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | unknown | poor | estimated | 2009 |
| Population trend | increasing | - | estimated | - |
| Generation length | 4.1 years | - | - | - |
Trend justification: This species has undergone a small or statistically insignificant increase over the last 40 years in North America (data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahamas | extant | native | ||||
| Canada | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Mexico | extant | native | ||||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | extant | native | ||||
| USA | extant | native | yes |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Plantations | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Plantations | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Rural Gardens | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Rural Gardens | suitable | non-breeding |
| Forest | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Temperate | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Grassland | Temperate | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | breeding |
| Shrubland | Temperate | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Altitude | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Species factsheet: American Goldfinch Spinus tristis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/american-goldfinch-spinus-tristis on 18/01/2025.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2025) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 18/01/2025.