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Hi, all.

I'm entering my second summer season as a backyard birder, and finally have a few American Goldfinches, plus an occasional Lesser Goldfinch.  However, I'm hoping for more Goldfinches, and, after watching them for a few days, began to wonder if the House Finches aren't keeping the Goldfinch numbers down?  The Goldfinches seem a bit timid, and tend to fly off when the House Finches show up.  Sometimes it looks like the House Finches deliberately chase the Goldfinches from the nyjer feeders.

Is there anything I can do to encourage the Goldfinches?

I live in the Denver area (SW Aurora, specifically).  I have two nyjer socks, a large hanging feeder for general bird food, several suet cages, and a large hanging feeder filled with black sunflower seeds.

Thanks! 

Hi Steve.  Timid is not a word I would have ever associated with Goldfinches.  They always seemed to be able to hold their own at my feeders. As far as encouraging the goldfinches and discouraging the Houses I'm not sure how you could do that.  I think once you put food out you just about have to take whatcha get.  Those caged feeders may discourage larger birds such as Starlings, etc but not sure how you'd go about separating the two finches. Just try enjoying them all

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Matthew 6:26

If you really want to discourage house finches, you can buy feeders that force the birds to get the seeds while hanging upside-down. The goldfinches are fine with this, but the house finches cannot do it.

I am not sure there is anything you can do about that. I have both and they feed just fine together. My house finches tend to like Black oil sunflower seeds the most. They hardly eat at the nyger feeders. I have never seen them chase off any bird. My Goldfinches really don't get spooked by any bird. I can walk about 4 ft. from them before they fly away. I sit and watch them from my porch that is about 10 ft away. I do have a nyger feeder that is close to a black oil sunflower feeder and the house finches perch on it. Maybe that could help. Good luck!

> The goldfinches are fine with this, but the house finches cannot do it.

I have an upside-down feeder.  Today I watched a House Finch hover for brief moments to pick a seed from a port; or, it would hang/fall for just enough time to pick from a port  -- wash, rinse repeat for 5 minutes.  It's very incovenient for them, and I imagine this is why they're hardly ever at the feeder.  But if there's a will there's a way!

Upside-down seed thisle feeders work very well. Though sometimes an individual House Finch might be able to hang upside down, it usually excludes them and lets the goldfinches feast in peace.   I got one for $4 at Sears, works very well.

Thanks so much for that question.  The way I found this site is by searching the web for this topic.  I just received a sock feeder as a gift from a friend and I have the same issue as you.  The goldfinches fly away from the feeder when a house finch comes around.  The golds stay away in a nearby tree until the houses leave.  It is apparent that they are timid with these guys.  Now I know that I am not the only one.  Thanks, M