Gold Finch

Scientific Name: Carduelis carduelis

The Goldfinch has been kept and bred by numerous fanciers in Great Britain for centuries. It is noted for its soft, sweet song, friendly and can be easily tamed. It thrives well when housed with canaries in a mixed collection.

Description:

Size: 13 cm (S in)

COCK:

Eyes: light brown. Beak: light cream, blackish on tip. Mask: red edged with white, the red often fades in aviary specimens. Crown, side of neck and wings: black. Wings also show bands of yellow and white spots at tips of Nights. Back: brown. Upper tail coverts: buff. Under-parts: white, tinged with brown. Tail: black with white edges. Feet and legs: light brown.

HEN:

The hen looks similar to the cock, but the mask is slightly smaller and a duller red in color. Sometimes it is little difficult to identify the sex of the bird by judging their outer appearance.

Diet: (Seed eater)

Niger is the most favored seed. Canary mixture, oats, goats and some hulled sunflower seed should also he given. It also enjoys hemp, but sunflower seed is already substituted in countries where hemp is illegal. Green food is enjoyed and thistles are relished by this species. Grit and cuttlefish bone must always be provided.

Breeding:

This species is usually rather keen to breed. Pairs make neat, compact, smallness with dried grasses, hair, wool and feathers. Four to six eggs are laid and the incubation period is 13 days. The hen sits alone but parents share in feeding the young. Two nests per year can he expected from pairs.

Cock Goldfinches also mate readily with other British finches and canaries producing attractive hybrids and colorful mules.

Gold Finch Facts

• The gold finch of the American variety undergoes a complete change in the plumage during period in between winter and the breeding season. The other species of the breed have just one molt during the time of fall.
• The American variety of finch start their breeding season late compared to the other birds. They generally go for breeding during the months of breeding while the other songs birds have just finished of with their breeding and nesting. The reason behind late breeding of the American gold finch may be due to the availability of food and nesting materials.
• The bird breed is social in nature. They generally stay and feed themselves in flocks during the winter season. During the breeding season the group becomes small in size.
• The bird is monogamous but the females do go in search for another male after laying the first brood of eggs. The fledging of the chicks is taken care by the male while the female moves out for another male for her second brood.