European Greenfinch Identification
What I look like
The European Greenfinch is the size of a sparrow.
It is stocky.
Its plumage is yellow and olive-green with brighter yellow on the wing (yellow wing bar) and on its forked tail.
The yellow color of its plumage is more visible in flight.
Its conical beak is strong and light-colored.
The female has more grayish plumage and the yellow is paler and finer.
My songs, my calls
The European Greenfinch starts singing as early as February.
The song of the European Greenfinch is tremulous with trills in different tones.
It sometimes includes high-pitched "tiou" notes.
or even a drawn-out nasal sound.
How I behave
You can often see the European Greenfinch at the feeder. It visits all year round.
They are very greedy and can easily empty a feeder, unlike other species that take one or two seeds and leave.
They also easily go to suspended fat balls.
If disturbed, it threatens the intruder: it raises and slightly opens its wings, the tail slightly spread, and the beak open.
In general, it tolerates other European Greenfinches at the feeder. Unless they get too close. In that case, it will assume its threatening posture.
How I reproduce
The breeding season of the European Greenfinch extends from March to August.
It produces 2 to 3 broods per year of 4 to 6 greenish eggs, speckled with dark spots.
It nests in trees and shrubs and even in climbing ivy.
Its nest is a cup of moss and stems.
What I eat
The European Greenfinch eats seeds, berries, young leaves, flowers, and buds, and rarely insects and larvae.
Only at the start of its brooding, it will feed its chicks with larvae and insects.
At the feeder, it skillfully opens sunflower seeds.
Where to find me
It is found in the hedgerows of agricultural areas, in not too dense deciduous and mixed forests, and in villages, parks, and gardens.
It is a sedentary or short-distance migratory species.