Species of the day: Goldfinch

By James Duncan

Learning and Engagement Officer

The UK's Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) population has pretty much doubled in the last fifty years, their 'liquid' twittering now heard commonly in around two thirds of gardens across the country. In fact, it's our gardens that have undoubtedly been the key to its recent success. Agricultural intensification has adversely affected so many of our farmland birds, yet the Goldfinch has been one of those adaptable enough to diversify its diet. In our gardens they've found the perfect niche to exploit. With their compact, chiselled beaks they're able to carefully prise seeds from teasels and thistles, though from our bird feeders nyger (Guizotia abyssinica) has become a firm favourite. The tiny seeds and nutritious hearts of members of the Sunflower (Asteraceae) family provide vital sustenance for the birds through winter. The naming of the bird relates back to one of its favoured wild foods, the Thistles (Carduus) - also demonstrated in its colloquial medieval name of 'thistle-tweaker.' Birds will mix their diet in spring, when the wealth of emerging insects also provides them with prime opportunities for feeding their young.

The Goldfinch is certainly an unmistakable species, its dazzling plumage making it undeniably one of our most beautiful small birds. Juveniles however are not adorned with the stunning facial mask. They're a nomadic species and though resident all year round, some will leave in winter to take advantage of warmer climates in other parts of Europe. Once the breeding season is complete, many will flock together (often with other finch species) roaming the countryside to look for feeding opportunities. The rather wonderful collective noun for a flock of Goldfinches is a 'charm,' as engaging to the eye as to the ear with their glamorous golden wing bars startlingly obvious in flight.  

Unfortunately the Goldfinches' beauty made them one of the most numerously targeted cage birds in the nineteenth century. It's claimed that well over 100,000 were caught in Sussex alone each year during this time - staggering to consider this number would now constitute around 10% of the UK's current population. The RSPB's formation in 1889 in fact made the preservation of the Goldfinch one of its very first priorities. Unfortunately the popularity of the bird seemed to relate to allure on a number of fronts. Their beauty was undeniable. Their song was overwhelmingly pleasant to the ears. Lastly, their dexterity made it easy to perform 'tricks' that required highly developed levels of coordination. This of course can be witnessed whilst watching them feed, their ability to hang upside down whilst carefully manipulating seeds unquestionable. Fortunately it's now illegal to possess or control a wild bird in a cage and the Goldfinch is a joyously familiar sight across Britain.