Washington State Bird - Willow Goldfinch

The fight to choose the Washington state bird involved considerable more political wrangling than you might imagine. Although the willow goldfinch (also known as an American goldfinch) was eventually chosen in 1951 to represent the state, it had taken a full 23 years to come to an agreement.

The Fight for the Willow Goldfinch

According to NetState, The Washington state legislature first decided to take up the issue of choosing a state bird in 1928. At first, the legislature placed the decision into the hands of the state’s schoolchildren. Across the entire state, schoolchildren voted in the legislature’s contest to name the state bird. By a vast majority, the students choose the western meadowlark for the job.

That outcome was not been the one for which the state legislature had been hoping. They wanted to the Washington state bird to be distinctive, and a few other states had already named the western meadowlark their own state bird, including neighboring Oregon, who had made the western meadowlark their own the previous year. Rumor had it that the ever popular western meadowlark was in the running to become state bird in even more states. Ultimately, the state legislature decided to pretend the student referendum had never even happened and put the whole issue on the back burner.

The issue went quiet until 1931, when the Washington Federation of Women’s Clubs decided to bring it back to the forefront. Skipping the legislative route, they opted to open the vote up to everyone and backed a statewide vote that year. On the ballet were the song sparrow, the junco, the pileated woodpecker, the willow goldfinch, and the western tanger. By this time, public sentiment had moved to the willow goldfinch, which handily won the race.

The Washington Federation of Women’s Clubs made the results of their race known to the state legislature, but the legislature wasn’t prepared to accept those results, either. Over the course of the next 20 years, the legislature held two more statewide ballots on the bird issue, but they didn’t find a clear winner. The western meadowlark continued to show strong, as did the willow goldfinch.

In 1951, the legislature decided to settle the question of the state bird once and for all. They hosted a runoff election between the two favorite candidates, the western meadowlark and the willow goldfinch. The willow goldfinch came out on top, and the legislature finally gave it its due. Under the Revised Code of Washington, Title 1, Chapter 20, Section 1.20.040, the willow goldfinch was officially named the state bird of Washington.

About the Washington State Bird

The willow goldfinch is found in abundance across the United States, with a few exceptions. During the winter months, it migrates from the extreme north central part of the country to the southern coast, and it leaves that region to return north during the summer. It is found year round in all other parts of the country, including Washington.

Willow goldfinches tend to be found in open country, especially areas with fields, and then tend to eschew crowded urban areas, though they will come into residential areas to eat from bird feeders. They travel in groups and eat mostly grains, although occasionally they will eat small insects.

You can tell the difference between a male and female willow goldfinch by the color of its body. Male willow goldfinches have bodies covered in bright yellow feathers while the females have brown and tan bodies. The tail and wing feathers are also different between the sexes, with females having brown feathers and males having black feathers. Both sexes have pink beaks, except when they are molting, when the beaks turn bright orange. They molt twice per year.

The willow goldfinch is designated as an animal of least concern on the endangered species list. It is also the state bird for Iowa and New Jersey.

Heather McDonald