There are lots of Lessers. Lesser Goldfinches that is — about 16 different species of finches in North America. Fortunately for me, there are only two that I find regularly on my walks around the Nevada Union High School and Sierra College campuses. Lesser Goldfinches are the small yellow- to olive-colored birds you frequently see scouring the weeds for seeds. The males can have a very yellow throat, breast and belly with a distinctive black cap. The females are less colorful and appear pale yellow from the front. Both sexes have olive-colored backs with black wings with white wing bars. …