The goldfinch's bright, canary-yellow plumage is reserved for the male while the female is more olive-hued, and as the year progresses, the male's colouring becomes increasingly subdued, as will the female's. No other finch in the cardueline family displays such a striking difference in its summer and winter colours. Scientists believe this is because the goldfinch goes through a unique springtime moult instead of gradually wearing down its feathers like other finches. The goldfinch flies throughout southern Canada.
