h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The American Goldfinch: Wild Canary in Your Backyard - A88000256
Author: Dmitri Gheorgheni - Not Banned in China - U1590784

Another birdie for the Guide collection. This fella hangs out with the sparrows at the Post Office bird feeder.

Lovely - thank you

Very interesting about the twice-yearly moult Lots in common with the European goldfinch A87853189 - especially in eating thistle seeds and having tuneful songs

The only thing I wondered about was the concept of eating insects by accident - I did some searching and found this http://www.featheredphotography.com/blog/2020/07/26/american-goldfinches-dont-eat-insects-or-do-they/ and I like that you mention the chicks eat regurgitated seeds, which is unusual (the chicks of birds I have written about eat insects for the protein)

I'm impressed that they can manage down to 0F - that is chilly for a little bird! Do you know what the literal translations of the French and Mexican names are? I can see 'yellow' but can't guess the other words.

Thanks for reading, Sasha! I added the goldfinch link and a footnote link to that wonderful discussion about the insect eating. One thing I learned studying biology at university: whenever you say, 'This organism doesn't do X', one outlier will go and make a liar out of you. They warned us about that...

I added the translation to the Spanish - it means 'Yankee goldfinch'. But I don't know any way to translate the French other than 'yellow goldfinch', which seems a bit redundant? Maybe Superfrenchie knows? (I'll ask her.)

Superfrenchie: 'Sorry, I have no idea. I don't even know it in French.'

As far as I can tell, it's French for 'yellow goldfinch'. Which is like 'ein weisser Schimmel', ask a German. (It means 'a white white horse'.)

Google Translate gave me 'chardon' = 'thistle', so it might mean something like 'thistle-seed-eater'

It might, at that.

Very informative and a good length.

Thanks, Tav.

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