Species: European greenfinch

Greenfinches are small songbirds belonging to the Fringillidae family; as such they have the classical cone-shaped beaks of the finch family. They earn their name from the yellowy-green plumage of the male. Whilst the plumage of the female is duller both sexes have distinctive bright yellow outer wing feathers. They can typically be seen in rural and green urban areas where bushes and hedgerows provide cover and a source of food in the form of seeds and berries.

In the last decade, trichomoniasis, which is a well-known cause of death in doves, has been associated with a sharp drop in greenfinch numbers in England and, in 2008, in Sweden. For this reason, the DWHC, in conjunction with SOVON (Dutch Organisation for Avian Research and Conservation), the Vogeltrekstation (Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography), and the University of Utrecht are investigating the prevalence and distribution of Trichomonas in finch populations (with a focus on the green finch) in the Netherlands. The greenfinch is the focus species for research at the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre in 2016.

There is more information about the greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) available on the website of the RSPB.

Photo banner: Dick Pasman

Disease general

No diseases found.

Research results

• Magpie with ‘pigeon canker’ (02/07/2018)
• Interim report: Greenfinch, DWHC focus species, 2016 (02/05/2017)
• Four main causes of death in green finches (20/04/2016)
• Avian malaria in a pied avocet and a green finch (24/09/2015)
• Trichomonas sp. infection in a green finch (24/08/2009)

General news

• The green finch – DWHC focus species in 2016 (26/01/2016)

Publications

No publications found.