Hello,
I hope someone can help. I managed to take a picture of what we think is a goldfinch not very good as its taken through the window. My mum and I are having a debate as to whether it is a female or a juvenile. Does anyone know?
If you refer to prestige reference guides like 'The Birds of the Western Paleartic', you will find details of different races and the difference between the sexes, but I challenge any Goldfinch to stand still long enough to be analysed in that detail. Didn't Germaine Greer once say that 'Life is too short to sex a Goldfinch'. Something like that anyway. If you live in the suburbs or country, your Niger (Nyjer, nyger) seed could also attract Siskins in the winter.
I've certainly noticed that the goldfinches that come to my garden tend to prefer sunflower hearts above nyger seed, although they do eat the nyger seed. I've also seen siskins, green finches, and collared doves eat nyger seed.
Paul.
Warning! This post contains atrocious spelling, and terrible grammar. Approach with extreme edginess.
We have a few Goldfinch that visit the garden and mostly they do like the niger seed and will always go for that first. Then they go for sunflower hearts or if the niger seed feeder is full the other Goldfinch will have the hearts and then go for the niger too. I haven't seen any other birds eat the niger seed though
Pam
Hi Helena
I am a bird ringer and the only real way to sex adults in the the hand. Generally you need to look at the extent of red on the face. If the red extends behind the eye then is is usually a male. You can also sex them on wing lenght and the females would have a brood patch in the spring.
Paul
nestbox Hi Helena, Certainly looks like a Goldfinch to me and I would say it is a juvenile. Graham
Hi Helena,
Certainly looks like a Goldfinch to me and I would say it is a juvenile.
Graham
Deffinateley a Goldfinch and a juvenile!!
Gary
I think the Goldfinches are one of the beautiful birds to have in your garden. The tinkling songs, as they move about in their groups from tree to tree as they do. They are one in a million.
Do you know that a group of Goldfinches is called 'A charm of Goldfinches' So quaint, and so true.
The juvs are easy to ID, as they lack the red areas of their heads. They do have that easy to ID tail, white spots against a black background. So that is another way of ID-ing them. That is how I personally ID Juv goldfinches over other Finches.
Thanks Paul for your information,, and I did not know that the red on the face tells the sexes apart. We learn something new everyday. {thumbs up}
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Paul Eele Hi Helena I am a bird ringer and the only real way to sex adults in the the hand. Generally you need to look at the extent of red on the face. If the red extends behind the eye then is is usually a male. You can also sex them on wing lenght and the females would have a brood patch in the spring. Paul
Thank you Paul. I really didn't know about the facial red extent but as said they don't keep still long enough to see.
We also find that the nyger seed is ignored and they prefer the sunflowere hearts.
sure is a young goldie.
Awww.....Superb shots of the adult Goldfinch, along with the young
Thank you for sharing
Hi all, probably a bit late into this discussion, but definetely a juvenile Goldfinch, and I to started with a two peg nyjer feeder but have now progressed to two four peg feeders to cope with the demand and as you see from the photo below competition for pegs can get very aggressive.
visit http://walksnwildlife.blogspot.com/
Wow Gary - what a wonderful photo! I am still looking for a feeder like you have with the perching rings rather than just posts as I wouldn't like to eat sideways and feel sure my finches would prefer to be face-on. Can I ask, where did you get yours?
Squirrel
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Scottthehat - beautiful photos from you also - although (and I sincerely hope you won't mind my saying this) I am not sure that net bag is a good idea. I recently saw a starling with one of those firmly entangled around its leg so I "decant" every food out of them now.
I am in agreement with Squirrel. Fabulus shots Gary
All action shots in flight too {thumbs up}
Squirrel Wow Gary - what a wonderful photo! I am still looking for a feeder like you have with the perching rings rather than just posts as I wouldn't like to eat sideways and feel sure my finches would prefer to be face-on. Can I ask, where did you get yours? Squirrel
Hi Helena, Juv Goldfinch
Mad as a Hatter But one Happy Birder
Squirrel Scottthehat - beautiful photos from you also - although (and I sincerely hope you won't mind my saying this) I am not sure that net bag is a good idea. I recently saw a starling with one of those firmly entangled around its leg so I "decant" every food out of them now. Squirrel
have stopped putting them out like that now, thanks for the nice comments