Also commonly known as the Eastern Goldfinch, this is the New Jersey State Bird, established as such on June 1935.
We know from the bright yellow feathers that the male goldfinches shown in this print are depicted in summer! In the winter, their feathers turn a more dull grey/brown. The goldfinches are shown amongst the blooms of the common thistle.
The American Goldfinch is found throughout all of Massachusetts year-round. Click through to the Mass Audubon website to read more, including a transcription of Henry David Thoreau's observation of a goldfinch from A Week On the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
Be sure to round out your summer by visiting the library from August 11 through September 8 to see the American Goldfinch on display.
Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian
