 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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-0.86 (-1.49 - -0.231)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
American Goldfinches were mainly found in southern Saskatchewan, with records declining rapidly into the boreal forest. Mapping analyses revealed a high probability of observation across the south, likely due to their conspicuous flight calls and bright colours. Meanwhile, relative abundance mapping identified the Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland, and Boreal Transition ecoregions as the core of their distribution in Saskatchewan. In the boreal regions, goldfinches were rare and scattered outside the southern fringes, with sightings as far north as Lake Athabasca. American Goldfinches are well known for being late nesters; nest-building behaviour was observed between 26 May and 20 July, and nests containing eggs were found as late as 9 August.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
Sometimes mistakenly called a "wild canary,? the American Goldfinch has adapted well to human activity, and with deforestation we have inadvertently helped this species expand its numbers and range. The Goldfinch nests from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland south to northern California and North Carolina; it winters from southern Canada to northern Mexico.
Preferred breeding habitats include open and semi-open areas, especially where disturbances such as cultivation, clearing, logging, and burns have encouraged a growth of thistles (Smith 1996).
American Goldfinches are common throughout the south and uncommon and local in the southern boreal region north to Kazan Lake, La Ronge, and Deschambault Lake (Smith 1996). Frank Roy recorded a singing male in the Athabasca Sand Dunes 14 Jul 1990. Recent wintering has been recorded in the settled portions of the southern boreal as well as the aspen parkland and mixed prairie regions.
Original text by Gregory P. Kratzig and C. Stuart Houston. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the American Goldfinch in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. American Goldfinch in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=AGOL&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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