Greenfinch - Carduelis Chloris

Greenfinch (click to enlarge)	Identification The Greenfinch is a large stocky finch with a distinctly forked tail. It's about the size of a Great Tit. The adult male, in summer, is mostly green in colour except for yellow edges to their outer primary wing feathers and tail feathers. On looking more closely, the upperparts are more olive-green and the
breast and belly a bright yellow-green, and greyish coverts. During the winter, the male becomes duller. The adult female (and juveniles) have grey-brown upperparts, underparts are tinged with yellow, and with less yellow on the wings and tail than the male. The juveniles have dark brown streaks above and below. At first glance they can be mistaken for House Sparrows. They have a wheezy song.

Nesting Greenfinches nest in colonies in dense shrubs. The nest is made from twigs and grass, and lined with fine roots and hair, and built by the female. Breeding starts in April and consists of 2-3 clutches of 3-8 eggs.

Food In the garden Greenfinches will sit for a long time on hanging feeders containing black sunflower hearts. Otherwise, the Greenfinches diet is seeds, buds and berries.

Many thanks to British Garden Birds for the information on this page.