The American Goldfinch is a typical North American seed-eating member of the finch family. It breeds across southern Canada from British Columbia to Newfoundland and through most of the United States north of the Gulf and core Southwestern States.
It prefers trees in open places, especially in orchards and along roadsides. As winter approaches, the goldfinch moves short distances towards the south. Its winter range includes southern British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and most of the United States.
It is the state bird of Iowa, New Jersey, and Washington.
