Despite their name, female Greenfinches are actually a dull brown colour, with a characteristic yellow stripe on their wings and tail. Juveniles look similar to females.
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A common countryside bird found in woods and hedges, but mostly found close to humans on farmland and in parks, town and village gardens and orchards. The only places they're not found are upland areas without trees and bushes.
A wheezy sequence of trills at different speeds. Greefinches often sound like they’re shouting out ‘cheese’, but this is interspersed with ‘dibbi-dibbi-dib’ and ‘ju-ju-ju-ju-ju’ noises.
You can hear Greenfinches everywhere. They will begin to sing as early as January, getting ready for the breeding season which starts in March.
Greenfinches sing in a bright voice that can sometimes sound a little wheezy. Singing while perched, you might hear a variety of trills, including a repeated ‘too-eee’, followed by a ‘dweeez’. Its call in flight is a repetitive and rapid "chichichichit".
These chunky finches have a stout pink to pinkish brown beak designed for crushing seeds. Males have a beautiful green and greyish plumage with bright yellow markings on their wing and tail feathers. Females are slightly duller with a brown plumage with yellow markings. Listen out for their distinctive wheezing often woven into their musical song.
The Serin is the UK smallest finch species. They have green and yellow plumage; males have bright yellow underparts and females have a brown greenish plumage. Both males and females have bold streaking on their sides. They are a rare bird for the UK and usually spotted passing through on the south coast during migration. Another similar species is the Siskin. They are smaller than a greenfinch which a less chunky bill. The male has a streaky yellow-green body and a black crown and bib. Females have a much paler brownish plumage. Both have yellow-and-black-striped wings.
They have quite a varied diet and will eat seeds, berries, buds and insects.
Greenfinches breed all over the UK and nest in fairly open areas where tree and shrubs are present. Usually nesting in woodland borders, parklands, hedgerows and gardens.
Late April and can have up to two broods.
They have an average life span of two years. The oldest ringed Greenfinch was 11.
No, they are a resident species and often remain in their local area. Some may travel further south during the winter.
No, they are widespread in the UK, however their population numbers have dropped dramatically due to a disease called trichomonosis causing them to be a species of concern.