Nature Table

GOLDFINCH(Carduelis carduelis)

Goldfinches are amongst the most brightly coloured of our finches and they also have an attractive song. They were popular in the past as cage birds and many thousands were captured with nets and bird lime.

There was even an export trade in live finches from Ireland. All this is now illegal, but the persecution meant that goldfinches became very rare. Seeds of weeds like thistles, dandelions, and knapweed are important in their diet and a reduction of these weeds in the countryside because of changing farming methods contributed to their decline. The first laws to protect them were passed in the 1930s and they started to make a slow comeback.

In 1994 the BirdWatch Ireland Garden Bird Survey only reported them in 4% of gardens. By 2004 this has risen to 78% and they are now among the top 20 commonest garden birds.