Greenfinch
The European greenfinch (Chloris chloris) is a small passerine bird widespread throughout Europe, North Africa and Southwest Asia. It has also been introduced into Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, and Argentina.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
He
HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
Gr
GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
Ar
ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Ov
OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
So
SocialFl
FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
Pa
Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
E
starts withThe European greenfinch is similar in size and shape to a House sparrow, but is mainly green, with yellow in the wings and tail. The female and young birds are duller and have brown tones on the back. The bill is thick and conical. The song contains a lot of trilling twitters interspersed with wheezes, and the male has a "butterfly" display flight.
European greenfinches are widespread throughout Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. They are mainly residents, but some northernmost populations migrate further south. Greenfinches inhabit forests, woodland edges, farmland hedges, plantations, gardens with relatively thick vegetation, and parks.
European greenfinches are social and can form large flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixing with other finches and buntings. They are active during the daylight hours spending their time flying and hopping among tree branches in search of food. During the flight they often produce 'djururu' call and make soft 'tsooeet' and a brief 'chup'. Their song contains a lot of trilling twitters interspersed with wheezes.
European greenfiches are herbivores (granivores). They feed largely on seeds but also take berries, buds, and insects when nesting.
European greenfinches breed in spring, starting in the second half of March and until June. Males perform their "butterfly" display flights and sing in order to attract females. Pairs nest in trees or bushes, laying 3 to 6 eggs. Incubation lasts about 13-14 days, by the female. The male feeds her at the nest during this period. Chicks are covered with thick, long, greyish-white down at hatching. They are fed on insect larvae by both parents during the first days, and later, by a frequently regurgitated yellowish paste made of seeds. They leave the nest about 13 days later, but they are not able to fly. Usually, the chicks fledge 16-18 days after hatching. Each pair typically raises two or three broods per year.
European greenfinches are not globally threatened; however, they suffer from changes in agriculture practices and are often trapped in some parts of their range.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the European greenfinch is 48,000,000-74,000,000 mature individuals. In Europe, the breeding population consists of 21,600,000-33,100,000 pairs, which equates to 43,200,000-66,100,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...