A bird identified as a lesser goldfinch was spotted and photographed at feeders last week near the Agassiz Valley Impoundment 8 miles southeast of Warren, Minn., reports Heidi Hughes of the Agassiz Audubon Society. If confirmed by the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union records committee in April, it will be the first Minnesota record of this bird, Hughes says.
The lone lesser goldfinch spent four days hanging out with dozens of pine siskins at feeders full of hulled sunflowers, said Hughes, who photographed the bird. Experts from the Twin Cities confirmed the bird’s identity from photographs, and birders also made the trek to northwest Minnesota to see the bird for themselves, Hughes said.
According to the AllAboutBirds.org website, lesser goldfinches normally are found on the West Coast, in the American Southwest and parts of Central America.
The Agassiz Audubon Society would like to hear from anyone who spots an unusual bird in the Red River Valley. Call or text (218) 745-5663 or email agassizaudubon@gmail.com and include a name, contact information, where and when the bird was spotted and a photo if one is available.
