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Finches That Turn Orange in the Summer

One of the most common birds sighted at backyard bird feeders is the bright yellow goldfinch. This bird is easily recognizable throughout the year. However, there are at least three major families of finch: Zebra finches, Society finches and Australian finches and more than fifty varieties of finches living throughout the world. Among these many different species are a number of finches, including the goldfinch, that turn orange during the summer months. Typically it is the male finch whose coloring turns brighter in the spring and remains so throughout the summer to attract mates.

American Goldfinch
- The American goldfinch usually has yellow coloring. However, during the spring when the bird's feathers molt, its wing and tail feathers as well as its bill all turn bright orange. Later in the summer after the breeding season is finished, the feathers and other coloring of the American goldfinch begin to revert back to a yellowish color.
Lady Gouldians
- The Lady Gouldian or Rainbow finch is a species that lives in the wild in Australia but survives only as a domesticated bird in the United States. There are three distinct groups divided by head color, including the yellow head Gouldian finch that often has orange coloring. In addition, the beaks on Gouldian finches are often tipped with orange. Like many species of birds, the orange and other coloring on Gouldian finches is brightest in the late spring and summer.
House Finch
- A very common finch in America is the House finch. This bird typically has a dull brownish coloring for most of the year. In the springtime when plants are producing berries, House finches subsist on the fresh fruit. Male House finches' coloring often turns bright orange as a result of this diet and remains as long as fresh berries are available.
Brambling Finch
- An extremely numerous finch in Europe is the Brambling finch. The male in summer has an orange breast and a white belly. The Brambling finch sometimes socializes with the chaffinch, another finch that can have orange coloring.

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