Greenfinch - Carduelis chloris

Greenfinch

Carduelis chloris

Order : Passeriformes

Family : Fringillidae ;

Biometrics :

Size : 15 cm
Wingspan :
Weight : 25 à 34 g

Longevity : 13 years

IUCN conservation status :

Extinct

Threatened

Least
concern

Extinc
in the Wild

Near
threatened

Not
evaluated

EX EW CR EN VU NT LC NE

Geographic range :

Synonyms : Zelenushka (ru), Grönfink (sv), Verderón común (es), Verdone (it), Grünfink (al), Groenling (nl), Greenfinch (en)

Physical description :
Greenfinch is a stocky bird with plump body. Adult male has olive green upperparts, with grey great wing coverts, and bright yellow fringes on primaries, forming conspicuous patch. The same patch is also found at base of outer tail feathers. Rump is yellow. Underparts are yellow washed grey on flanks. Lower belly is pale grey and vent is yellow. Cleft tail is yellow, grey and black.
Head is greenish, with grey cheeks and indistinct grey collar. Crown is greenish-grey. Face is greenish.
Thick, conical, stout bill is powerful and flesh-coloured. Eyes are dark brown. Legs and feet are pink.
Female is duller than male, browner with slightly streaked upperparts, with less green on body, and less yellow on wings and tail.
Juvenile is duller and browner, slightly streaked with dark above and below. We can see light yellow fringes on primaries and tail feathers.

Voice :
Sound from CD 'Tous les Oiseaux d'Europe' by Jean C. Roché by courtesy of Sittelle and CEBA. Greenfinch utters a rapid twittering in flight 'djururut'. We can also hear a soft 'tsooeet', and a short 'chip-chip' when perched and in groups.
Song is often given during short, circular flight. It is a series of twittering phrases ending in extended 'dzweeeee' harsh and nasal.

Habitat : Greenfinch lives in forest edges, scrubs, copses, large hedgerows, parks and gardens.
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE: Greenfinch is common and widespread in Europe, northern Africa and south west Asia. Introduced in Australia in the 19th century, and also found in New Zealand.
This species is mainly resident in its range, but northern populations may migrate southwards in winter, and they disperse in various habitats, including sea coasts.

Behaviour : Greenfinch's stout bill enables it to feed on some of the larger seeds available in winter. It is a familiar garden bird, attracted to bird-feeders with sunflower seeds. It has rapidly learnt how to feed from hanging feeders, and it may become very aggressive when competing for food. It drives away other birds from bird-tables.
During breeding season, male performs a butterfly-like song-flight, consisting of circling pattern with slow wing beats, while the bell-like song is uttered continuously. This song is very pleasant to hear.
They may nest in small loose colonies, each pair defending the small area around the nest.
Greenfinch is solitary during breeding season, but they form flocks in winter, often mixed with other species, in woodlands or open farmlands. They roost in flocks at night in winter.

Flight : Greenfinch performs an undulating flight, outside breeding season and flight displays. In winter, the flocks burst up from the ground, swirling over the fields, or into the nearest cover. Flight allows seeing the yellow parts of under wings and tail.

Reproduction-nesting : Greenfinch's nest may be located in various places, such as small trees, ivy climbing on a wall, or evergreen scrubs in parks and gardens. Nest is often in a fork, or very close to the trunk. It is built by female.
Bulky nest is made with dry grasses and moss, woven with fine stems. It is lined with plant fibres, rootlets, hair, feathers, and sometimes wool.
Female lays 4 to 6 smooth and glossy pale blue eggs, finely mottled with reddish-brown and purplish. Incubation lasts about 13 days, and starts before the last egg laid. Female incubates alone, but she is regularly fed by the male.
Chicks hatch altricial, covered with long, thick, greyish-white down. Both parents feed the young, first with insect larvae, and then, 5 to 7 days later, with regurgitated seeds. Young fledge at about 17 to 18 days of age.
This species produces 2 broods per season, sometimes 3.

Food habits : Greenfinch feeds mainly on various seeds, insects, small fruits and berries, and needs every day a good quantity of vegetal food, according to its great size. Young are fed with insect larvae.

Protection / threats : Greenfinch may damage fruits and flowers in orchards. Populations have declined in farmlands, due to changes in farming practices. However, this species has adapted to use bird-feeders in gardens in winter, but an increasing number of nest failures was observed over the last 20 years.

Other links :
Iucn
Birdlife

Specification sheet created by Nicole Bouglouan

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