The Lawrence's
goldfinch can be distinguished from other goldfinches
by its black face. The American and lesser goldfinches have black on top
of their head
rather than on
their face. They also have a lot more gray.

The Lawrence's goldfinch eats small seeds and is small enough so that it is able to hang on small flower heads without them snapping off.
The Lawrence's Goldfinches prefers to nest in dense foliage, usually in an Oak or cypress.
The Lawrence's Goldfinch is closely associated with Oaks. They use chaparral frequently but always in close proximity to Oak trees.

A birdbath is an excellent way to get the Lawrence's Goldfinch to come to your garden. They also will want some food. See diet.

The Lawrence's Goldfinch, like most finches, has a diet consisting mainly of seeds. They can often be seen dangling from old flower heads and picking out the seeds. They seem to need a source of water and spend a lot of their day in the birdbath.
Some of the Lawrence's Goldfinches favorites are Chamise seeds, asters, fiddle necks, Red-maids, Pepper grass, Lepidium, cryptantha, knot weed, and polygonum.

The Lawrence's Goldfinch is found nearly exclusively in California. (They are also found in Baja California.) It is found along the edges of the central valley up into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Range in the Summer. They are also found most of the year from San Francisco south on the western side of the valley.
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