Goldfinches and orioles
Spinus tristis, Icterus galbula
Two birds that never eat milkweed, and take it apart anyway.
What it does on milkweed
The goldfinch nests later than almost any North American songbird, timing it to the seeding of thistles and milkweeds, and lines the cup with the silky floss from a split pod. Baltimore orioles strip long fibers from the bast of dead milkweed stems and weave them into their hanging nests. Neither bird eats any part of the plant, and neither can use a stand that is cut down each fall.
How to recognize it
Goldfinches are small and bright yellow with black caps and wings in summer. Baltimore orioles are the size of a thrush, the males brilliant orange and black.
Where and when
Goldfinches across most of the United States, orioles across the east and midwest. Most often seen June to September.
Should you do anything about it?
Leave the dead stems standing through winter and cut them in spring. This is the single most useful thing you can do for the plant’s other users.
Goldfinches and orioles: common questions
Should I cut milkweed back in fall?
Not unless you have to. Standing stems give orioles nesting fiber, shelter overwintering insects, and hold seed for later dispersal. Cut in early spring instead.
Cite this page
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Milkweed USA. (2026). Goldfinches and orioles (Spinus tristis, Icterus galbula). Retrieved DATE, from https://milkweedusa.com/wildlife/goldfinches-and-orioles/
"Goldfinches and orioles (Spinus tristis, Icterus galbula)." Milkweed USA, 2026, https://milkweedusa.com/wildlife/goldfinches-and-orioles/. Accessed DATE.
Milkweed USA. "Goldfinches and orioles (Spinus tristis, Icterus galbula)." Last modified 2026-08-01. Accessed DATE. https://milkweedusa.com/wildlife/goldfinches-and-orioles/.
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title = {Goldfinches and orioles (Spinus tristis, Icterus galbula)},
author = {{Milkweed USA}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://milkweedusa.com/wildlife/goldfinches-and-orioles/},
note = {Accessed DATE}
}