Birdwatching for beginners

Greenfinches

These bright little birds are nearly always on the move. They often spend time with other greenfinches so it's not unusual to see several at once. They're around 15cm long and look a little stouter than other finches. Males are greenish all over, with various subtle tinges of colour. There is a very defined wing bar of brilliant yellow, and in flight you'll see yellow on the base and sides of the tail, which is black-tipped and forked. The female has subtler colouring, with less yellow on the wing and tail and a brownish hue to the upper parts. The eyes of both sexes are deep black, with a soft black stripe across, and the beak and legs are pink. Greenfinches have a fast ‘chup' call that quickens into a trill, and there are two songs - one sounds wheezy, the other involves whistles and acrobatic sing-song trills. The discovery of seeds at a bird table can incite a feeding frenzy, so watch out for a collective blur of green and yellow feathers.