A True Bird Mystery: Chapter 5 - A Golden Opportunity
Welcome to the fifth installment in our true bird mysteries, a true-crime-inspired series. Hints will be mixed throughout this article, so use your investigative skills to solve!
This is the third entry in the "A True Bird Mystery" series. This series will progress in difficulty, so if you like solving mysteries, riddles, and scavenger hunts... Join Us, SherLARK Holmes! (That was not a clue.) Drop answers in the comment section at the bottom of this riddle!
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All chapters of "A True Bird Mystery:"
A Golden Opportunity
A Wandering Band of Thieves
A Surplus of Joy
A Red Herring
Where should you look for clues? Everywhere. Pay attention to weird word choices and unusual phrases, and consider contextual clues. Look for anything out of the ordinary in this article!
Remember, scroll slowly so you do not jump ahead and see the answer or spoilers!
You are my sunshine... until you fall
Your name is a cinch
I can remember in a pinch
While I munch on a chip
I view your flaxen drip
Summer end comes around
Your song begins its sound
A humble vegetarian
With plumage not egalitarian
Undulate and pass by
Flocking might you fly
That hint was gregarious
Misunderstanding is precarious
Your color makes me paranoid
Through its derivation by carotenoid
My clues are not too mellow
This bird is clearly... quite the fellow. (I almost gave it away)
Want more riddles? Of Course!
You are my sunshine... until you fall (with clues emphasized)
Your name is a cinch
I can remember in a pinch
While I munch on a chip
I view your flaxen drip
Summer end comes around
Your song begins its sound
A humble vegetarian
With plumage not egalitarian
Undulate and pass by
Flocking might you fly
That hint was gregarious
Misunderstanding is precarious
Your color makes me paranoid
Through its derivation by carotenoid
My clues are not too mellow
This bird is clearly... quite the fellow. (I almost gave it away)
What am I? Find out!
A summary of clues with HINTS!
Golden opportunity
Hints at the birds color
Sunshine, fall
Hints at the color, but maybe the season is important?
Cinch, pinch
Words that offer little help except...
Chip
A word often used to describe something this bird does
Flaxen drip
Drip is slang for style, clothing, and look. Look up flaxen.
Summer end, song sound
Why does the sound come at summer's end?
Vegetarian
This bird may not consume much, or any, animal matter.
Plumage not egalitarian
Plumage is not equal across the ages and sexes of this species.
Undulate
An adjective for its movement?
Flocking
A bird that flocks?
Gregarious
Confirms 10?
Color, carotenoid
More help describing the color by using its pigment.
Mellow, fellow
More rhyming, like number 3.
FINAL HINT (MAJOR SPOILER): Check out this article.
Attract your own mystery birds!
Learn about this bird's favorite seed!
Do you know the answer?
- Yes
- No
SPOILER: The answer is below!
The mystery is solved, an American Goldfinch!
Learn about the basis for the clues
Golden opportunity
American Goldfinch
Sunshine, fall
The American Goldfinch turns brownish during its fall molt.
Cinch, pinch
These rhyme with finch.
Chip
Some describe the flight call of the American Goldfinch as saying "potato chip."
Flaxen drip
Flaxen means yellow, and drip means look/style. So this bird has a yellow look.
Summer end, song sound
The American Goldfinch nests late in the season, and the male American Goldfinch sings late into summer.
Vegetarian
The American Goldfinch rarely eats insects or other animal matter.
Plumage not egalitarian
Male and female goldfinches have different plumage appearances.
Undulate
The flight of the American Goldfinch is described as undulating.
Flocking
The goldfinch is a flocking bird.
Gregarious
The goldfinch is a flocking bird.
Color, carotenoid
Carotenoids are the pigments that create yellow feathers.
Mellow, fellow
More rhyming. For yellow.
How did you do? Comment your thoughts in the comment section below! Here are the things to share with us in the comments:
Which clue solidified your guess?
Did you need the clues pointed out in the second section?
Did you need the summary with hints?
Did you use the major spoiler?
Let us know below!
Use Nyjer seed to attract goldfinches! Click the button below to see a favorite!
Learn more about the American Goldfinch!
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