Goldfinches

At this time of year one of the commonest birds around garden feeding stations is the Goldfinch and, as finches feed mostly on seeds, sunflower or niger seeds are most likely to attract them. They are considered a common bird in the UK, with recent estimates suggesting that about 1.2 million pairs are present: widespread, with the exception of mountainous areas of Scotland.

In the autumn, flocks tend to head south to avoid harsh winter conditions; many will winter around English gardens, taking advantage of easy food, whilst others will continue south – ending up in France, Spain or other Mediterranean countries. In spring they head back north to breed; building nests towards the tips of branches, often on fruit trees. Here they will usually attempt to raise two broods. The young Goldfinches can be identified from adults by face colour, as they lack the bright red ‘mask’ until well into their first autumn.

Back in Victorian times their rather attractive colour scheme led to them becoming extremely popular as cage birds, with many 100’s of thousands being taken from the wild every year in the UK. This resulted in a population crash, which became one of the very early priorities to be tackled by the RSPB (originally just ‘the Society for the Protection of Birds’). The various trapping methods included ‘clap nets’ and liming – which is basically putting glue on branches where they are likely to settle! Sadly, liming is still one of the methods widely used in many Mediterranean countries today, where songbirds are captured to be eaten, despite laws outlawing the practise. Fortunately, you are very unlikely to see goldfinches on a British menu! So carry on enjoying their splash of colour around your garden bird feeders.

Kim Milsom, Biodiversity Field Officer