Carduelis carduelis, Goldfinch

Common Name: Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis, more commonly known as the Goldfinch, is approximately 12cm in length. The red, black and white head and golden yellow wing bars readily identify it, making a mis-identification impossible, even for a beginner to bird watching.

Their call is lilting, tinkling "tsweet-tsweet-tsweet" and a harsher call of "geeze-geeze-geeze". Small seeds are the staple diet of the Goldfinch, often taken from the flowerheads of dandelions and thistles before they are ripe. Fairly easily attracted to specialist 'thistle' seed feeders in the garden. Varies diet by also eating spiders and insects.

Their nest is a neat cup of moss, grass, and other plant material, lined with wool and plant hairs and built by the female, usually in a tree or tall shrub. Commonly found in woodland edges, hedgerows, orchards, parks and gardens but can be found in more open country in the winter months. Resident throughout the UK.

https://www.uknature.co.uk is a website dedicated to showing the immense diversity of UK nature and wildlife. Our vast range of habitats, from lowland arable to snow covered mountains, from storm-ravaged coastlines to peaceful inland freshwater lakes and rivers, from dry, sandy heaths to deciduous and coniferous forests, all these habitats contribute to the abundance of UK nature. We have wild birds in huge numbers either residing or visiting our shores (597 recorded species as at July 2013) and we must also not forget the humble back garden with its grass lawns, flower beds filled with nectar rich flowers, shrubs and trees, all designed to attract huge numbers of insects such as bees, moths, butterflies and hoverflies; and finally the small ponds which provide safe havens for frogs, toads, newts and even slow worms and grass snakes. www.uknature.co.uk is the showcase for my personal passion, photographing uknature in all its glory. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the fruits of my labours.