The American Goldfinch is also known as the Eastern Goldfinch or the "Wild Canary."

American Goldfinches are monogamous and breed later in the year than most North American birds. They wait to nest until June or July when milkweed, thistle, and other plants have produced their fibrous seeds and stalks, which Goldfinches use to build their nests and feed their young. American Goldfinches can be found in flocks during the non-breeding season, which can fly in an undulating pattern, creating a rythmic wave-shaped path.

American Goldfinches are among the strictest vegetarians in the bird world, feeding on a diet consisting almost exclusively of seeds. Unlike other finches, the Goldfinch will use its feet to help remove seeds while feeding. The Goldfinch will frequently hang from its feet on the seed heads of annual plants such as zinnias and sunflowers to reach the seeds more easily. During the winter, American Goldfinches are a common site at bird feeders provided by humans. American Goldfinches also consume berries, maple sap, and tree buds, and will occasionally feed on insects, which they use to provide protein to their young.