5 Tips On How You Can Attract Goldfinches To Your Backyard

Let me show you how to make your backyard a place Goldfinches love to visit.

If you want goldfinches in your backyard, the first thing you need to do is make sure they are in your area. If you know other people are getting them in their yards and want them to be in your yard for you children, family, and friends to enjoy; during Labor Day or Memorial Day or any other holiday, you need to have the right feeder and the right birdseed. 

1. Don’t cheapout on a temporary feeder, buy the good one.

I made this mistake my first time. I bought a feeder just to “make due” and see if I could get them to come. The feeder I bought was horrible, I didn’t know what I was doing. It was plastic, cheap, and the feed holes were small. The feeder needs to be large enough to support multiple birds weights, as they typically feed in groups. A metal feeder with lots of surface area for the birds to perch is ideal, as well as a large seed cavity. I had 0 birds show up using the cheap "temporary" finch feeder. It ended up being a "trash" bird feeder because it was useless. Don't make the same mistake I did. I recommend this Goldfinch bird feeder. It is the one shown in the photos above and the photos below. 

This Goldfinch feeder is the best because:

• More surface area for birds to have a "seat at the table"

• Interior shelf, allowing for half fills and easy access to all birds

• Highly durable metals and materials, I have dropped it a few times as seen by the dent on the bottom platter in the photo

• It comes apart for easy cleaning

• So far, lasted for ~7 years without issues

• No gimmicky perches, goldfinches don't use them much anyway

Order this feeder while you can, it's a great finch feeder.

Bonus Tip

All of us highly recommend this adjustable and versatile outdoor plant hanger and hook stand and instead of using it for plants, hang your feeders off of it. If you hang your feeders off of it close to a window, you can watch your birds throughout the day. See the example in the photo above and how it is incorporated into the yard for easy viewing from the window. All the feeders in this post and the Best Hummingbird Feeders for Backyards have been hung from this stand and its an excellent way to fill dead space and attract wildlife while you are waiting for things to grow and fill in in your backyard. We highly recommend this as a versatile addition to your backyard. This one in particular is way better than the ones that need to be stuck into the hard soil. It's more mobile, stable, easier to manage, and offers more hanging options. 

2.  Fill your good feeders with the best Nyjer seed.

Goldfinches love this stuff. I have seen them wait around for me to put more seed in the feeders when they are empty, and they really only show up when the feeders are filled with them. Once you have the right feeder, you need the right feed. Nyjer seed is the best for goldfinches and housefinches. The Nyjer seed that is recommended for quality and price is Wagner's Nyjer Seed, the bigger the bag usually the better savings. For attracting more unique varieties, use birdseed like this  with a different feeder type.

 3.  Plant sunflowers.

There are many flowers and seeds goldfinches appreciate, but I am being biased for a few reasons you will soon find out. After Nyjer Seed, plant some sunflowers to supplement the feed for the Nyjer seed. Or if you can't always afford filling your feeders with Nyjer seed, plant some sunflowers. It turns out, goldfinches love to eat the leaves of the sunflowers. It its perfect because these plants grow great in most areas, including the Southwest US. They are easy, resilient, and come in many varieties. Goldfinches perch on the lower branches and eat the lower leaves. It's almost like they help trim the lower leaves. However, they still leave the stems, so you still have to trim those off. They typically eat the lower leaves, but will eat the whole plant if you let them; or when they run out of Nyjer seed during one of their voracious visits. When the sunflower produces its seeds, the goldfinches will sit on top of the drooping flower and pick the seeds out from the backside edges. As a perk, whatever the birds don't eat, you can eat. Sunflowers are edible; petals, leaves, and seeds.  Bees also love sunflowers. What a win-win-win. The brands we recommend for Sunflowers are either Botanical Interests or Burpee seeds, for the Mammoth Sunflower and Teddy Bear Sunflower. For other interesting tidbits on the benefits of Sunflowers, check out this post.

4. Have a large thorn tree or bush.

After eating or while waiting for the other birds to finish eating,  they love to wait in the thornbushes or trees. I imagine it helps them feel safe from predators nestled up in the thorny bushes.  Mesquite trees provide great cover for these birds. If you have one of these in your yard already, you could leverage it in your help to lure goldfinches to your yard. If you have a large thorn bearing plant, place you finch feeder close by; you’re bird friends will appreciate it.

5.  Have a water source around.

It seems they like to know they have water around. A sprinkler going on in the evening or in the early morning, a bird bath, or even a mister for the garden; they seem to enjoy the water being close to the food. Based on most survival instincts, that would make sense. I also notice them out more during the rain, just like hummingbirds are. In the photo above, you can see many of them out feeding in the rain. 

Why are goldfinches good for the environment?

Goldfinches play a role in urban biodiversity; and although primarily eat seeds, will occasionally dine on bugs contributing to a natural form of bug control in cities.  Additionally, they help drop seeds on the ground when feeding and it naturally helps spread those plant varieties. These small yellow birds are also part of the songbird family and have a soothing morning song capable of calming any urban mid-morning mayhem. Aesthetically, they are fairly unique and most people should find them a welcome garden or green space guest.  It's not so much about these birds exclusively that are good for the environment, it's more about supporting non pest wildlife may give us more bang for our buck in our fight against climate change, or in any land restoration projects or wildlife habitat strengthening projects. 

Where do the goldfinches go?

Goldfinches are migratory birds like most species, however in some regions like in the Southwest region in the United States, they will stay all year long. If they leave the area temporarily, it could be for a variety of reasons, such as lack of food due to environmental conditions, lack of safety due to predators, or just finding a more temperate place to reside. 

How can you attract Goldfinches to your backyard?

1. Don’t cheapout on a temporary feeder, buy the good one.

2. Fill your good feeders with Nyjer seed.

3. Plant sunflowers.

4. Have a large thorn tree or bush.

5. Have a water source around.