Following on from my last post, this is the European goldfinch or simply the goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis). Last week I spent a lovely morning in my Sister's garden in the New Forest, England where they have quite a few birds coming to their feeders. I was working on isolating them against a nice background and putting together a little portfolio of british garden/wild birds...
The collective name for goldfinches is a "charm". ahhhhhhhh
AI Overview
The goldfinch is a small, striking finch with a distinctive red face, black and white head, and bright yellow wing bars, found in gardens, parks, woodland, heathland, and farmland in the UK and Ireland.
Here's a more detailed look at the goldfinch:
Appearance:
Adults: Have a black and white head and an unmistakable red face. Their wings are black and white with a broad yellow wing bar, and their tail is black with white spots.
Juveniles: Lack the red face, but still have the yellow wing stripe.
Size: 12 cm long with a wingspan of around 25 cm.
Scientific Name: Carduelis carduelis.
Habitat and Behavior:
Habitat: Found in open woodland, farmland, parks, and gardens.
Social: They are sociable birds and can be seen in flocks, especially during winter.
Diet: They specialize on seeds, particularly those of the Compositae family (groundsels, ragworts, dandelions, and thistles).
Nesting: They nest in areas with scattered trees and shrubs, often adopting a loose colony structure.
Song: Goldfinches have a melodic bubbling chatter
Attracting Goldfinches: They are relatively easy to attract to gardens with niger seed and sunflower hearts.
Other Interesting Facts:
UK Distribution: The Goldfinch population has spread northwards within Britain and is now absent only from open mountains and moorland.
Conservation: The species is on the UK Green List.
Historical Decline: In the past, goldfinches were trapped for the caged bird industry, but this practice is now illegal.
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