Singing trees adorned with a ring of gold stand out in the spring woods. American Goldfinch choirs gather amidst bright green, unfurling leaves and fill the air with a continuous harmony. The males wear their brilliant yellow and black spring attire. Females are also in attendance, joining the musical festival to assess the males’ color, singing, and agility on the wing. The music begins with a few quiet voices, then quickly swells into a resounding chorus. The most elaborate, jaunty songs of the year pour forth from the finches, electrifying the landscape.
The joy of spring is made palpable as goldfinches sing in the sunlight for hours on end. Individuals come and go, but the chorus persists. It serves as a clarion call and draws finches in from the surrounding area. Blue Jays, Crows, House Finches, Chipping Sparrows, and Black-capped Chickadees perching nearby fall silent and appear to enjoy the performance.
When a large group gathers, there is much chasing. Two birds often start out zipping around the canopy, and others join in, seemingly for the fun of it. On occasion, the whole flock will take off and fly up into the sky above the trees, where they fly in circles, pursuing each other while singing. They drift in and out of clouds, passing by white and blue backgrounds and putting on a remarkable show of fitness. It is hard to fathom the energy required to fly at high speeds while singing. It is a joy to watch them. They make me so happy.
Modern scientific accounts drily describe this remarkable phenomenon of song assemblies by saying, “American Goldfinches follow the cardueline habit of forming pair bonds in pre-breeding flocks.” Historical accounts are more colorful and better at capturing the feeling you have when among the finches. Wilson Flagg describes American Goldfinches in his book A Year with the Birds written in 1889:
"These little birds are remarkable for associating at a certain season and singing as it were in choirs. During spring and summer, says Mr Fowler, they rove about in small flocks and in July will assemble together in considerable numbers on a particular tree seemingly for no other purpose than to sing. These concerts are held by them on the forenoon of each day for a week or ten days, after which they soon build their nests. I am inclined to believe that this is the time of their courtship and that they have a purpose in their meetings beside that of singing. If perchance one is heard in the air, the males utter their call note with great emphasis, particularly if the new comer be a female, and while in her undulating flight she describes a circle preparatory to alighting, they will stand almost erect, move their heads to the right and left, and burst simultaneously into song.
While engaged in these concerts, it would seem as if they were governed by some rule that enabled them to time their voices and to swell or diminish the volume of sound Some of this effect is undoubtedly produced by the gradual manner in which the different voices join in harmony beginning with one or two and increasing their numbers in rapid succession until all are singing at once and then in the same gradual manner becoming silent. One voice leads on another, the numbers multiplying until they make a loud shout which dies away gradually and a single voice winds up the chorus. These concerts are repeated at intervals for several days, ending probably with the period of courtship."
John Burroughs made note of this phenomenon in the early 1900's.
"When the change in plumage is complete, and the males have got their bright uniforms of yellow and black, the courting begins. All the goldfinches of a neighborhood collect together and hold a sort of musical festival. To the number of many dozens they may be seen in some large tree, all singing and calling the most joyous and vivacious manner. The males sing, and the female chirp and call. Whether there is actual competition on a trial of musical abilities of the males before the females or not, I do not know. The best of feeling seems to pervade the company; there is no sign of quarreling or fighting; 'all goes merry as a marriage bell,' and the matches seem actually to be made during these musical picnics. I have known the goldfinches to keep up this musical and love-making festival through three consecutive days of a cold northeast rainstorm."
During the performance, erratic sexual chases occur. Males follow females in fast, twisting flight as they circle the choir. A female tests the males by seeing if they can fly at high speed through the canopy and around the tree trunks - up and down and over and through - and stick with her through thick and thin. She is picky due to her habit of abandoning her first brood and leaving the male to finish caring for the young so she can attempt to raise a second brood with a different male.
The singing trees emanate an ode to joy that has been sung every spring for millions of years. Our ancestors were intimately connected to the finches, and as a result, we are wired to appreciate birdsong. The more we hear it, the more meaning our lives have. The birds are calling to show us the path to a meaningful life shaped by the ability to pay attention and be present in the moment. They know we are part of nature and are waiting for us to join the chorus.
The goldfinches surround us with a beautiful, energetic field. Their chorus sets us vibrating, and joy reverberates through our bodies. They are our companions. Our voices and their voices are carried by the same soft spring wind. We can join the chorus and enhance the harmony by getting curious and dropping into the sensory experience of being human. Connecting with the finches requires that you lead with your body, not your mind.
Lean into the song; lean into your inherent creativity. Visualize the song in colors. Paint, draw, sing. Engage the right side of your brain where imagination, creativity, intuition, rhythm, and feelings reside, and watch your anxiety take flight, leaving you standing awash in wonder.
Take a breath offered by friendly winds. They travel the earth gathering essences of plants to clean.
Give it back with gratitude.
If you sing it will give your spirit lift to fly to the stars' ears and back…
Call upon the help of those who love you. These helpers take many forms: animal, element, bird, angel, saint, stone, or ancestor.
Call your spirit back. It may be caught in corners and creases of shame, judgment, and human abuse.
You must call in a way that your spirit will want to return.
Speak to it as you would to a beloved child.
Welcome your spirit back from its wandering. It may return in pieces, in tatters. Gather them together. They will be happy to be found after being lost for so long.
Your spirit will need to sleep awhile after it is bathed and given clean clothes.
Now you can have a party. Invite everyone you know who loves and supports you. Keep room for those who have no place else to go.
Make a giveaway, and remember, keep the speeches short.
Then, you must do this: help the next person find their way through the dark.
Jo Harjo
I love the thought that the more birdsong we hear, the more meaning our lives have. Thank you Bill for another wonderful piece; and thank you for including the video of the finch’s chorus!
Beautiful. And yes, I enjoyed the audio version first before rereading it with my cuppa. You started off tentatively but soon became immersed in the topic, which was wonderful. And what a terrific poem to end with. Well done. And Thanks so much.