The goldfinch is a bright and interesting member of the family of birds. Goldfinch features a cheerful disposition and natural wit. Today, many hold this beautiful bird at home, because of the bright plumage of goldfinches pleasing to the eye, and the defiant tweet uplifting.
Besides birds breed goldfinch perfectly trainable. If you start to do with a bird, then you can teach it, for example, to carry water in its beak in the feeder and doing other amusing tricks.
Goldfinch: species and habitat
This graceful little bird can not be found in the dense thickets. Black-headed goldfinch prefers a more enjoyable living environment. Woodlands, orchards or little groves, that’s where it is easiest to meet this beautiful bird.
An interesting feature of birds is that the goldfinches are fairly easy to tolerate the winter. Only a small part of them is sent to spend the winter in the southern region. Most of this interesting breed winters in his usual, familiar place. Here they are homebodies who do not like to travel.
Among the representatives of this breed can distinguish several types. Each type has its own characteristics, distinctive features and favourite places of habitation.
Among birds breed dandy release:
- Grey-headed. Most often representatives of this species can be found in Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Central part of Siberia.
- Blackheads. Mainly prefers to live in the Central part of Europe, but it is possible to meet representatives of the breed and in the Eastern part of Siberia, and even North Africa.
- Siskins. Basically, this kind of birds lives in America, in the Northern part of it. Also representatives of this species can be found in the forests of Europe and Asia.
- Konoplyanka.These birds nest mostly in Europe and East Asia (Japan, China, Republic of Korea).
- Redpolls , common Redpolls Redpolls and mountain ash. This is perhaps the most delicate representative Sagalevich. Among these birds, the cold is not only afraid of an ordinary tap, so it can be found in the Northern part of Eurasia and in North America. But even they prefer to spend the winter in South Asia, where it’s warm. The twite breeds in the heights Aziatskih mountain ranges. But ash tap dance lives in the North of Russia and neighbouring Scandinavian countries.
The appearance of the bird
The goldfinch is a very beautiful bird with exotic plumage. That is why this bird is so loved by many fans of birds.
Representatives of this breed are great different from each other, depending on the species. So, blackheads goldfinch distinctive feature is the red spot on the front of the head. Wings of blackheads goldfinch is decorated with black and yellow blotches. The tail of birds is not very long, black with white stripes.
Siberian in external appearance very similar to its counterpart. The difference is only in the back of the head of a bird. Have Shagalova goldfinch she’s not dark, but rather a smoky color.
Female goldfinches are virtually indistinguishable from males. So the ordinary man in the street to look at the differences almost impossible. Even the size of these birds are exactly the same. The only difference that allows to distinguish males from females is a red stripe above the beak that the males have slightly wider.
Main features
All representatives of the breed of dandies distinguished by a special elegance and sophistication. Birds are very lively and moving. It is these restless family of birds. The goldfinch always need somewhere to jump to peck at seeds, tear the cones. Legs they are very tenacious, so the bird is easily clings to the branches and moved from one to another.
Usually these birds move in small flocks, flying into just to build their nest. And how to sing you sissies! The male in mating season is filled with beautiful melodic trills, which can be enjoyed for hours. Poultry goldfinches sing almost all year round, stopping briefly to moult.
What food prefer
Favorite treat specimens are seeds and grains. Therefore, at home as treats you can use the usual grain mixture for poultry. Birdseed rich in vitamins and trace elements necessary for normal life of the birds. The main thing you need to pay attention to when choosing food – availability of oilseeds. They are the main source of energy for these small, nimble birds.
Pamper your pet possible with flax seed, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or hemp. Do not forget about nuts. Goldfinches love them very much, especially if it’s pine nuts.
In addition to grains, can be added to feed a variety of greens, especially the young twigs of coniferous trees. Also the bird is willing to enjoy different kinds of cereal from insects, ant eggs and other fancy bird treats.
To feed the pet you need at least two times a day. If the birds start to fade the plumage, then the goldfinch missing something and should reconsider approaches to nutrition. It is very important to comply with the mineral and vitamin balance in the diet. To the main feed you should definitely add all sorts of mineral supplements.
Such as:
- the sand is grainy;
- clay;
- activated carbon;
- ash wood;
- chalk;
- crushed egg shells;
- little shells.
All of these supplements – obligatory daily diet of the goldfinch. And then the bird is active, healthy and cheerful.
How to keep goldfinches
To feathered friend feel good and comfortable, he needs a spacious cagewhere he can safely move. Periodically goldfinches should be allowed to fly around the house. To take care of the cage should as carefully as possible. As often as possible, preferably every day, to clean and wash the cage and change the water in the troughs.
Periodically, the cage should be disinfected, enveloping the metal bars with boiling water. Perches also need to be cleaned every day because they are home to many parasites.