Greenfinch

The Greenfinch is a familiar species, stout in appearance and often aggressive when exploiting hanging feeders. Greenfinches have expanded their range in Britain & Ireland over the last 100 years and have moved from being a bird of forest edge to becoming a common garden bird. However, their populations took a tumble in the mid- to late-1990s following the emergence of a disease that was new to them.

The recovery rate for Greenfinch is relatively high for a bird of its size, highlighting its close association with Man. The decrease in seed availability in the wider countryside has seen the decline in Greenfinch populations on farmland and this may mean that gardens and the food provided within them have become increasingly important, particularly during late winter and early spring when natural seed supplies are at their lowest level.