Like many birds, American goldfinches have huge appetites during the winter. During this harsh season these small birds average consuming upwards of 35 percent of their body weight in food each day.
I guess that is one reason why they eat so many black oil sunflower and nyger seeds at our feeders.
In your feeder it looks like you are feeding peanuts. I keep a feeder for my woodpeckers like this.
You are correct the feeder contains peanuts. While the peanuts are eaten most often by titmice and woodpeckers, American goldfinches will sometimes visit the feeder too.
While we have some goldfinches, they seem less numerous than previous years.
American goldfinches can cover feeders for days and then suddenly disappear for no apparent reason. Also, many years they will be absent and then return in large numbers the next. I know a fellow that runs as store that sells bird-related merchandise. He says that sunflower seed sales are low during the winters the birds appear in small numbers.
We always have Goldfinches year round but since the weather cooled off here in Dubois, IN we have been overwhelmed with them.
Thank you for your response, These birds often form flocks in cold weather. The flocks show up and either stay for a while or move on to another location. I hope your birds remain a while.