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Latin name: Carduelis chloris
Numbers in Britain: 530,000 pairs
Conservation status: Green*
Length: 15cm
Wingspan: 25 - 28cm
Weight: 25 - 32g
Habitat: Gardens, wooded countryside, parks and orchards.
Eggs: 2 - 3 clutches of 3 - 8 smooth, glossy white to pale beige eggs with reddish-black markings. Breeding starts late April.
Nest: Greenfinches nest in colonies, mostly in dense shrubland. The nest is built by the female from twigs and grass, lined with fine roots and hair.
Description: Males have brownish green upper parts which are yellower on the rump. Ear coverts, sides of neck and flanks are brownish green. Underparts are yellowish green tinged from grey to greenish yellow on the belly. Lower belly and under tail covers are grey. The bill is pale pink with a brown tip. Legs are a pale flesh colour.
The Females upper part is browner in colour, with grey underparts. Her tail feathers are less yellow. The young are similar to the female.
Song and Calls: Use the audio player below to hear Songs and Calls of the Greenfinch. Requires the Flash plugin.
* No identified threat to the population’s status