Winter bird feeder camera guests – greenfinch
Photos: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Male greenfinch
Female greenfinch
Greenfinch; European greenfinchRohevint Carduelis chloris
The winter number of greenfinches fluctuates around a couple of hundred thousand birds, some years half that number, some years half more.
Larger than great tits in shape as well as weight, they weigh more than twenty five grams. In places where they have found a bird feeder, they visit it regularly, but in many gardens they are seldom seen. In winter they move around in flocks, so the number of visitors also varies.
The bill of the greenfinch is large; they come to the bird feeder to „pass the time“, they prefer all sorts of seeds and particularly sunflower seeds that they shell in place; greenfinches are not seen on lard.
The male bird has an attractive greenish plumage with a bright yellow wing stripe. The plumage of the female bird is greenish-grey, the back banded in brown, wing edges yellow and both have pinkish feet.
Their behaviour can be belligerent together with bigger birds, but towards their own females they are more courteous.
In the flocks of greenfinches moving around one or two more brightly coloured birds can occasionally be seen. Wintering chaffinches have probably joined the flock but they are very few.
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