Straw into Gold

Guess who's putting on their bright spring plumage?

That's right. Goldfinches.

Fun fact: birds that are sexually divergent (meaning that the males and females do not look alike—think cardinals, goldfinches, house finches, etc.) tend to be birds that must attract a new mate every season, while those that look the same (like Canada geese) tend to mate long-term (though not necessarily "for life" because if someone way better flew along, Mr. or Mrs. Goose may just fly the coop and hook up with a new long-term mate).

We're the lucky bystanders in this yearly search for a mate. Songbirds, which tend to be sexually divergent, use their beautiful songs to attract new mates. If they were more monogamous, spring would be far less cheerful because they would have no reason to sing!