LINK TO PDF NEWSLETTER DOWNLOAD
May 2026
Is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada-United States border to Mexico during the winter.
The only finch in its subfamily to undergo a complete molt, the American goldfinch displays sexual dichromatism: the male is a vibrant yellow in the summer and an olive colour during the winter, while the female is a dull yellow-brown shade which brightens only slightly during the summer. The male displays brightly coloured plumage during the breeding season to attract a mate.
It is a granivore and adapted for the consumption of seed heads, with a conical beak to remove the seeds and agile feet to grip the stems of seed heads while feeding. Its breeding season is tied to the peak of food supply, beginning in late July, which is relatively late in the year for a finch. This species is generally monogamous and produces one brood each year.
Human activity has generally benefited the American goldfinch. It is often found in residential areas because it is attracted to bird feeders, which increase its survival rate in these areas. Deforestation also creates open meadow areas, which are its preferred habitat.
- Compared to other native North American birds, American goldfinches are late breeders. The birds wait to start building nests until late June and early July when the thistle and milkweeds are going to seed. These small birds like to use the seeds in their nest, and also as a nearby food source for their young
- While some other bird species are omnivores, American goldfinches are avid vegetarians. The only time the birds stray from their vegetarian diet is when they accidentally swallow a small insect
- Brown-headed Cowbirds are known to lay their eggs in an American Goldfinch nest. While the Goldfinch doesn’t mind, it’s unfortunate for the Cowbird hatchlings. Cowbird chicks need a diet that consists of more than seeds and only survives a few days
- Goldfinches weave their nests tight enough to hold water, though only temporarily. To keep their nests secure in the trees the birds use spider webs. The webbing is used to attach the nest to twigs and even small branches
- When Goldfinches pair up their flight calls become almost identical. It’s thought that these calls help other flock members distinguish one pair of Goldfinches from another
- American Goldfinches use a four-syllable call when they’re ready to take flight. If you listen closely, it sounds like the birds are saying “po-ta-to-chip”. Both male and female Goldfinches use that call
- Goldfinches weave their nests tight enough to hold water, though only temporarily. To keep their nests secure in the trees the birds use spider webs. The webbing is used to attach the nest to twigs and even small branches
If you are unable to make it in to the store on Tuesday for Senior’s Day discount, then you can call the store anytime on Tuesday to place and pay for your order, and then you can pick it up later in the week at your convenience.
PLEASE NOTE:
This is for customers who are currently signed up as a senior’s day customer and applies only to in-store purchases.
Jim’s years of guiding bird walks for the Wild Bird Store has been instrumental in teaching “birders” how to get the most out of their birding excursions.
Unfortunately, Jim has decided he can no longer continue to spend many hours walking while guiding his walks. An option for Jim is to continue his lifelong passion, not only for birding, but for sharing his knowledge and passion in a different way. Birding by car has become the alternative, but might surprise you with the multitude of species you have the opportunity to see, especially when your guide is so proficient at finding wild birds.
FRANK LAKE : Saturday May 9, 2026
PLEASE NOTE: This is an actual walk, kindly note meeting place.
9:00 am meet at rear of the Wild Bird Store and carpool from there. Please bring a lunch
Ticket price $7.00 + GST
CARSLAND: Saturday May 23, 2026
PLEASE NOTE: This is an actual walk, kindly note meeting place.
9:00am meet at rear of the Wild Bird Store and carpool from there. Please bring a lunch
Ticket price $7.00 + GST
FRANK LAKE: Saturday June 6, 2026
PLEASE NOTE: This is an actual walk, kindly note meeting place.
9:00am meet at rear of the Wild Bird Store and carpool from there. Please bring a lunch
Ticket price $7.00 + GST
IRRICANA SLOUGHS: Saturday June 20, 2026
PLEASE NOTE: This is an actual walk, kindly note meeting place.
9:00am meet at rear of the Wild Bird Store and carpool from there. Please bring a lunch
Ticket price $7.00 + GST
FRANK LAKE: Saturday July 11, 2026
PLEASE NOTE: This is an actual walk, kindly note meeting place.
9:00am meet at rear of the Wild Bird Store and carpool from there. Please bring a lunch
Ticket price $7.00 + GST
Wildwood Community Centre (4411 Spruce Drive SW): We will be on location the
FIRST
Tuesday of the month 3:00pm to 5:30pm through the winter months.
We will Be on location May 5, 2026
Thank you for your continued support.
Crowfoot Arena (corner of John Laurie & Nosehill Drive NW: Every Wednesday 2:00pm to 5:30pm
Please place orders by 12:00 noon the day before the truck is on location
The Mobile Seed Truck is a mini version of The Wild Bird Store, and as such, we are limited to what we can carry. It is therefore, highly recommended that you place an order the day before the truck is to be at your desired location. This will ensure that when you come to the Mobile Seed Truck you get the items you need.
Text us @ (403)701-4571 OR email us at orders@wildbirdstore.ca
Earn and redeem customer loyalty points on the Mobile Seed Truck
DELIVERY: Deliveries will still be made on Thursdays ONLY.
Please phone the store at (403) 640-2632 any day prior to 12:00 noon on the Wednesday before your delivery; place and pay for your delivery. Please phone with your order as early as possible to avoid disappointment. If you have any special instructions please do not forget to inform us when you place your order.
THE DELIVERY CHARGE WILL BE $10
MINIMUM ORDER FOR DELIVERY $25.
Options for shopping at the Wild Bird Store
THE DELIVERY CHARGE WILL BE $10. MINIMUM $25 ORDER FOR DELIVERY.
Store hours are:
10:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Saturday
We offer a discount if you return your 20 LB or 40 LB seed bags so that we can re-use them (sorry—not the Mother Nature bags which we cannot re-use), suet ball containers, or if you bring your own container or bag to fill . This discount is in addition to any other discount offered.
Question:
I was watching some Black-capped chickadees seemingly deliberately placing fecal sacs, presumably from their nestlings, all in a row in one specific spot on a large Douglas Fir branch. Any thoughts as to why they might do this? Do they do it to attract insects to eat or feed to their nestlings?
Response:
For those of you not aware of what a fecal sac is, they are tiny gelatinous bags of poop generated by the nestlings in many songbird species. Rather than let the feces accumulate in a nest to possibly create a non-hygienic environment for the young, or worse, generate an odour for a predator to key in on, the parents generally either eat the sacs for extra nutrition or they carry them away from the nest, often dropping them into water. For the pair of chickadees in your yard, you suggested that they placed the sacs nearby on a branch to attract insects which the parents could feed upon or even to their young. Anyway, your question created quite a discussion among five ornithologists, all of whom had studied chickadees and one in particular who wrote the book on Black-capped chickadees! None of them, including Dr. Susan Smith, the top expert, had never seen this behaviour in their birds. None believed that your chickadees did it to attract insects, but it was not ruled out. One suggested that the fecal sacs just happened to fall onto that same location from a bird perched above the site, but I do not buy that. Dr. Smith suggested that maybe they actually put them there in storage to be consumed later. That makes the most sense to me.
David M. Bird, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology, McGill University www.askprofessorbird.com
David M. Bird is Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology and the former Director of the Avian Science and Conservation Centre at McGill University. As a past-president of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists, a former board member with Birds Canada, a Fellow of both the American Ornithological Society and the International Ornithological Union, he has received several awards for his conservation and public education efforts. Dr. Bird is a regular columnist on birds for Bird Watcher’s Digest and Canadian Wildlife magazines and is the author of several books and over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications. He is the consultant editor for multiple editions of DK Canada’s Birds of Canada, Birds of Eastern Canada, Birds of Western Canada, and Pocket Birds of Canada. To know more about him, visit www.askprofessorbird.com or email david.bird@mcgill.ca.
We offer a discount if you return your 20 LB or 40 LB seed bags so that we can re-use them (sorry—not the Mother Nature bags which we cannot re-use), suet ball containers, or if you bring your own container or bag to fill . This discount is in addition to any other discount offered.
Write a Google review on your experience at The Wild Bird Store, and as a thank you, we will give you 100 customer loyalty points ($5.00 value). To get a promo code, kindly email info@wildbirdstore.ca
(one Google review per customer)
Earn 200 customer loyalty points ($10.00 value) by referring a friend, acquaintance or fellow birder.
Please visit the store to get a promo code.
No need for a card, just give your phone number. You earn $1.00 for every $20.00 spent (excludes “sales” items, books & optics) and can be used in-store and on Mobile Seed Truck. As a loyalty member our monthly promotions and in-store “specials” are automatically given at the cash register.
Combining our Seniors 10% discount with the Loyalty Program. (Excludes “sales” items, books & optics).
Discount for membership 10% discount for members of Fish Creek Park, AIWC, Priddis Golf Club, Nature Calgary, Sandy Cross Conservation, Springbank Garden Club and Millarville Horticultural Society. Must present valid membership card at time of purchase.
Discount for Military Members & Veterans 10% discount on
purchases in-store or on Mobile Seed Truck (sorry—excludes “sales”
items, books, optics and consignment items)
The Wild Bird Store also carries a complete line of Mason bee supplies for your one-stop shopping convenience.
Kris will be presenting in store seminars on Mason bees coming up in the month of April. Watch for the announcement in the March 2026 newsletter. Space will be limited.
CREATING A MASON BEE HABIT
Wednesday May 6, 2026 at 6:00PM
Ticket Price: $15.00 + GST
Tickets must be purchased through the Wild Bird Store website www.wildbirdstore.ca and are non-refundable.
Please purchase your tickets early as these seminars fill up very quickly and space is limited.
The Wild Bird Store carries a complete line of Mason bee supplies and which be available for sale after the seminar.
The key is to create a gentle slope into the water. That way, the bees can land, gently approach the water, and put its proboscis down into the water;
Start with a glass or ceramic pie plate—almost everyone has one in their home. Add smooth stones—you will need enough to fill the pie plate three-quarters full. Add water—fill the dish three-quarters of the way full with water so that the tops of the stones are still showing, and what you’ve just done is created a bee watering station. It’s that simple.
Important to remember:
Birds do not like bees, so remember to place your bee watering station as far away as possible from your bird bath. Deep pools of water with no easy off ramp are hazardous for bees.
World Bee Day | 20 May
Bees are essential pollinators that play a critical role in our ecosystem and food system. Honey bees are responsible for pollinating many crops that provide us with food, including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Unfortunately, honey bee populations have declined in recent years due to habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and disease. This decline has significant implications for our food system and the environment making it crucial to raise awareness and take action to protect honey bees.
Disappearing pollinators can mean losing some of the nutritious food we need for a healthy diet. The decline of pollinators could have disastrous effects for our future of food. Their absence would jeopardize the three-quarters of the world’s crops that depend at least in part on pollination, including apples, avocadoes, pears and pumpkins. And enhancing pollination isn’t just about mitigating disaster—with improved management, pollinations has the potential to increase agricultural yields and quality. Pollinators also play a crucial role in maintaining and enhancing biodiversity thus improving the resilience of plants to climate change and other environmental threats.
The Forgotten Bird Artist—Rex Brasher
July 31, 1869—February 29, 1960 was an American water colour painter and amateur ornithologist in the vein of John James Audubon and Louis Agassiz Fuertes. But even today, many people—even avid birders—have never heard his name. Brasher’s 875 surviving paintings depicted 1,200 species and sub-species of North American birds in accurate detail, representing all the species and sub-species identified in the American Ornithologists’ Union’s Check list of North of North American Birds.
Brasher started to paint birds at the age of 16, travelling throughout the United States, visiting every state in an effort to find birds to paint, betting on horse races and working odd jobs to support his travels.
To listen to a podcast from The Wildlife Society, please visit: https://wildlife.org/listen-the-forgotten-bird-artist/
DONATIONS
Located at The Wild Bird Store (near the seed bins). We collect your cash as well as “wishlist” donations and arrange to deliver them to local wildlife organizations including Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation, Alberta Institute of Conservation and Ellis Nature Centre.
We ask for your support quarterly for each of these organizations.
For March, April, and May 2026 your donations will go to:
Thank you for your support
American pipit
Has a relatively long tail, which is often seen bobbing up and down as the bird moves. Foraging birds walk quickly, strutting and often changing direction as they inspect the ground and low vegetation for food. They sometimes catch aerial insects in short sallying flights and consume prey whole, sometimes removing the wings first.
During the breeding season, the American pipit becomes more vocal, with the males singing a high-pitched, trilling song to attract a mate. The song is often accompanied by a display flight, in which the male will fly high into the air, hover momentarily, and then glide back to the ground while continuing to sing.
The nest is placed on the ground of tundra or alpine fields above the tree line, usually under an overhanging rock or clump of grass. Males bring food to incubating females, which receive the meals, wings fluttering, away from the nest site. Nests are always on the ground in meadows, scree fields, tussocks, or similar open environments, usually in a spot that is partly sheltered by vegetation, earth or rock.
- Scree field: Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall.
- Tussocks (grasses): usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies.
Have you checked out the Merlin app? Would you like a demonstration on how they will help you to identify birds? Stop by The Wild Bird Store during regular business hours and staff will be happy to show you how the app will enable you to identify birds in various ways.
Identify Bird Songs and Calls
Identify Birds by your Photos
Save Birds to Your Life List
Explore lists of birds near your location
Does your Aspects or Squirrel Buster feeder need some replacement parts?
Is the warranty & repair depot for:
Squirrel Buster® Bird Feeders
Aspects® Feeders
Did you know that we can repair/replace parts and make it look like brand new?
VICTORIA DAY MONDAY, MAY 18, 2026
The Wild Bird Store will be CLOSED for this holiday
WE ARE LOCATED AND CAN BE FOUND AT:
5901 3rd Street S.E.,
Calgary, AB T2H 1K3
email: info@wildbirdstore.ca
(403) 640 2632
The Store is open Monday through Saturday 10:00am to 5:00pm
We are CLOSED Sundays, and ALL Statutory holidays for Faith, Family and Friends.
We still offer curbside pickup every day we are open and delivery service on every Thursday.
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Go to YouTube, type in the search bar “The Wild Bird Store” to watch our videos and to help us become more visible . Be sure to click on “Subscribe” before you leave the page.
GREATER YELLOWLEGS
Greater yellowlegs use their bright yellow legs for multiple survival functions including prey detection in murky water, thermoregulation during extended wading, and mate attraction during breeding season.
Adults leave breeding grounds by late June to early July, following well-defined flyways through interior wetlands and coastal estuaries. Spring arrival dates hit peak numbers from early March to April across the southern United States. Juveniles depart 4-6 weeks after adults, with fall departure extending into November.
