The goldfinch is one of Britain’s favourite and most attractive birds. They were once a popular pet due to their colourful plumage and enchanting singing, but now you may spot this little bird swinging on branches or twittering away in your garden.

Length: 12cm

Wingspan: 21-25.5cm

Conservation Status: Green

Description: Goldfinches are one of our prettiest birds and easily distinguished by their bright colour scheme and characteristic markings. They have a distinctive red face with a white patch behind the eye and a black crown and nape. They have a yellow wing patch, black tails and a long pointed bill. Both sexes look similar but juveniles have a grey-brown spotted plumage and lack the face markings of the adult bird which they acquire in autumn.

Nesting: Goldfinches nest in orchards, parks, gardens, villages and anywhere there are tall deciduous trees. They construct their cup shaped nests high in trees and bushes using stems, moss and plant wool and sometimes even decorate the outside of their nests with flowers! They produce 2 broods of 4-6 reddish patterned eggs which they incubate for 12-13 days.

Feeding: Outside of breeding season goldfinches form nomadic flocks, called ‘charms’ and these charms are often spotted feeding in fields and on road verges. They love seeds, buds, insects, dandelions, burdock and thistles in particular, and use their slender, tweezer like bills for extracting seeds from plants and flowers. They will feed at bird tables in your garden but prefer swinging acrobatically on hanging seed feeders.

Niger seed	4-Season Feeder Mix	Ultiva Original Mix	Did you know?
			The goldfinch symbolizes endurance, fruitfulness, persistence and passion and is considered a ‘saviour’ bird. Because of this it was used during medieval times as a charm to ward off the plague!

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