In the eastern part of their range, lesser goldfinches have a black back but farther west, they have a greenish back. It is ...

Males are very distinct from other goldfinch species ... A very pale female lesser can show whitish undertail coverts, but it has a different wing pattern than all Americans and is always greener ...

The brightly colored male American goldfinch is especially recognizable ... with white undertail coverts. Jet black cap. Black wings with yellow lesser coverts and narrow white tips to greater ...