# Greenfinch (*Chloris chloris*) The Greenfinch is a cheerful little bird with bright green feathers. They love to sing and can often be found in gardens and parks. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Gardens, parks, and woodlands - **Also known as:** European Greenfinch, Green Finch ![Greenfinch](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424373/objects/4562.jpg) ## Appearance The Greenfinch has a plump body, an olive-green plumage, and a distinctive conical bill. Males boast bright yellow flashes on their wings and tail. Females are a duller, paler green-brown. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Fringillidae - **Genus:** Chloris ## Interesting facts - During courtship, the male performs a special 'butterfly flight' with stiff wings! - Greenfinch chicks are fed 'crop milk,' a nutritious liquid from their parents! - Their 'dzweee' call is so distinctive, you can spot them by sound alone! - They love bird feeders, often being the first to visit your garden for seeds! ## Special abilities - **Seed Cracker Beak:** Greenfinch has a strong, conical beak that helps them crack open tough seeds with impressive ease. - **Melody Weaver:** Greenfinch can sing a distinctive buzzing 'dzweee' call and varied song to attract mates. - **Flash Signal:** Greenfinch has bright yellow wing and tail flashes that help them communicate with other birds. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 14.5-16 cm - **Wingspan:** 25-28 cm - **Weight:** 0.017-0.034 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-8 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-6 - **Incubation:** 12-14 days ## Diet & Feeding These birds mostly eat seeds, loving sunflower and thistle seeds, but will also snack on berries and insects! - **Age differences:** Young chicks eat more insects, gradually transitioning to a seed-heavy diet as they mature. - **Primary Foods:** sunflower seeds, thistle seeds, nyjer seeds, buds, berries, aphids - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Sparrowhawk (*Accipiter nisus*) — A swift raptor that preys on small birds. - **Eaten by:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Felis catus*) — Common garden predator, especially for fledglings. - **Shelter:** Common Hawthorn (*Crataegus monogyna*) — Thorny bushes offer safe nesting and roosting spots. - **Eats:** [Musk Thistle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/musk-thistle) (*Carduus nutans*) — They skillfully extract nutritious seeds from thistles. - **Eats:** Black Bean Aphid (*Aphis fabae*) — Greenfinches will eat these small insects, especially when feeding young. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Greenfinches are safe to watch and enjoy from a distance. Always be gentle and quiet around wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Greenfinch? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Greenfinch? 14.5-16 cm ### What is Greenfinch's wingspan? 25-28 cm ### How much does Greenfinch weigh? 0.017-0.034 kg ### How long does Greenfinch live? 2-8 years ### How fast can Greenfinch move? 45 km/h ### What does Greenfinch eat? These birds mostly eat seeds, loving sunflower and thistle seeds, but will also snack on berries and insects! ### Where is Greenfinch usually found? Gardens, parks, and woodlands ## Where to spot - [Madrid Zoo Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/madrid-zoo-aquarium) — Spain, ES · Aquarium - [Monkey World](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monkey-world) — England, GB · Zoo - [Blumengarten Bexbach](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blumengarten-bexbach) — Saarland, DE · Park - [Zoologická zahrada města Brna](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoologick-zahrada-m-sta-brna) — South Moravian Region, CZ · Zoo [View all places to see Greenfinch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/greenfinch) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Greenfinch: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/greenfinch)