Goldfinch

Description:

This is a small passerine bird belonging to finch family, Fringillidae. Slightly bigger than a house sparrow, both sexes show red face with seed-eater beak, black and white head, warm brown upperparts, white underparts with buff flanks and breast patches. Wings are mainly brown, with black and golden-yellow stripe. In winter, I always see them in groups (sometimes very large ones), and this group counts about 10-12 birds.

Habitat:

This winter, this group is a very common visitor of my feeders, set up in our backyard, and I see this group almost every day. Our backyard is at outskirts of a small urban center in Geneva lake valley, is neighbouring a meadow (used for producing hay) and a lowland deciduous (mainly oak and beech) forest, and some other agricultural fields.

Notes:

As specified above, in winter, I most often see them in groups, 10 - 15 birds. When in group, they are cheeky, not very discreet and are very loud - and spend more time close to human settlements foraging. When they arrive on my feeders, it seems they chase away all other users (various tits, starlings and other finches) and occupy these feeders until they eat their full... I also find that in the summer, they are much more quiet and discreet.