Gillian Day / Green Finch
Species of the Month: Greenfinch
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Have you seen our Species of the Month in Dorset? By reporting your sighting below, you can help us to build up a picture of the state of Dorset’s wildlife. We send the records of your sighting to DERC (Dorset Environmental Records Centre) who collate this information, providing the opportunity for local naturalists, conservation organisations and wildlife enthusiasts to work together to protect wildlife in Dorset. What’s more, when you complete our Species of the Month survey, your sighting will display on our interactive map below. This allows us to visualize the range of wonderful wildlife our supporters have spotted in their gardens, on their balconies or in their local green spaces throughout the year! So please help us help wildlife by filling in the form below. Thank you!
Gillian Day / Green Finch
Species of the Month: Greenfinch
Scientific name: Carduelis chloris
Layers
Identification
With a length of 14-15cm, wingspan of 26cm and weighing in at around 28g, the greenfinch has a large, grey-green head with a pale pinkish, chunky, conical bill used for crushing seeds.
The male has a yellowish green body, darkest on the back with grey on the face sides of neck and on wings. The female is a duller brown across both their upper and lower parts and has faint streaks on the back. The tails and large primary wing feathers of both males and females are edged in yellow, giving the distinctive bright streak to their plumage. This colour intensity increases through the winter.
The juvenile looks similar to the female, but the back and underparts are obviously streaked.
Listen for their canary like twitter as they call from a perch and, in the breeding season, their prolonged nasal dzwee-e. Calls include repeated short chup, teu and soft twitter chi-chi-chi-chi-chit. A sound recording of the classic wheeze can be heard below.
Diet
Greenfinches have a varied diet, but mainly eat seeds, particularly from wild plants like dandelions, thistles and groundsel as well as from trees such as birch and alder. In winter, when seeds are less abundant, they may also eat berries and fruits from shrubs like hawthorn and rowan.
In the breeding season they will feed their young on protein rich invertebrates such as caterpillars, beetles and aphids for the first few days after hatching.
In the garden they are particularly fond of black sunflower seeds and peanuts.
Behaviour
Male greenfinches may start to sing in late January ready for pairing up from late February, but the breeding season usually begins in March/April. The males try to attract a female by hopping with one wing raised, head erect, mouth open and tail feathers spread displaying their yellow feathers.
Greenfinches nest in small colonies, the female generally building a nest in the fork of a tree or dense shrub, often choosing evergreens or ornamental conifers. The nest is cup shaped and made of twigs, moss, plant stems and grasses and is lined with hair and fine plant material.
The female lays 4 – 6 eggs which are smooth, glossy white with blackish markings. She incubates them until they hatch after about 14 days and both male and female feed the chicks until they fledge just over two weeks later. Generally, the pair produces two broods over the summer.
Did you know?
Greenfinches live on average for two years, although there is a record for a wild greenfinch which lived for 11 years and three months!
Although the total UK population is currently 1.7 million breeding pairs, the population size of Greenfinch has suffered a 57% decline between 2012 and 2022 and is now a red listed species. A sharp decline since 2005 is due to an outbreak of trichomoniasis, a parasite-induced disease that prevents the birds from feeding properly. As the spread of this is possibly related to poor hygiene at garden feeding stations, it is important to help stop the spread, by keeping your bird feeders clean.
Where can they be found?
The greenfinch is widespread across the UK, apart from the highest parts of northern Scotland, and can be found in both rural and urban habitats.
These incredibly adaptable birds have moved into urban areas and can be found in parks, hedgerows and gardens where they often visit bird feeders where it is often the dominant species.
In winter many of the birds in the north and upland districts move to lowland Southern Britain and numbers are further boosted by influxes from mainland Europe. They often form flocks with other finches and siskins and can be seen roaming the countryside and parklands looking for food.
How can I help?
Attract greenfinches to your garden by including plants, trees and shrubs that will provide food - such as wildflowers that produce seeds or hawthorns, rowan and dog rose for fruits and rosehips.
Put out garden feeders with sunflower hearts and black sunflower seeds in hanging seed feeders, on bird tables or scattered in a safe location.
Remember to keep feeders and bird baths clean because dirty feeders and seed husk waste can cause salmonella poisoning and the spread of deadly trichomoniasis.
Wearing gloves, wash and dry the feeders thoroughly before using again as the process of drying can kill the infection. Then wash your hands and arms and any tools thoroughly as well.
Please don’t use pesticides in the garden and provide as much tree and shrub cover as possible for nesting sites for this amazing characterful finch.
Report your sighting
Help us build a more accurate picture of Dorset's wildlife by completing this form. Your records will be sent to DERC on the understanding that the information provided by the recorder will be entered onto a computerised database and may be used for nature conservation, research, education or be available to the general public. Your sighting will also appear on our Species of the Month map. You can change your communications preference at any time by contacting us on 01202 692033.
When you have completed the form, click the Submit button. Please note that once submitted it can take up to an hour for your sighting to populate the map.
