Formerly known as the Green-backed goldfinch, this species was either not present or overlooked during the 19th century by most Oregon ornithologists. The male's black forecrown contrasts smartly with the greenish back and bright yellow underparts. Females lack the clear contrasting colors of the males, though the tips of the secondary coverts and the base of the primaries are white in both sexes. Often the plaintive tee-yee call reveals the presence of the bird long before it is seen.

In the north Willamette Valley the Lesser goldfinch is a fairly common breeder along the western fringe. Scattered and local in the Portland area, it is fairly common from the southern Willamette Valley southward through the Umpqua Valley, reaching its greatest abundance in the Rogue Valley.

Hear the song of the Lesser goldfinch

Photo by Richard Griffin, Flickr