European Greenfinch

Carduelis chloris (Linnaeus, 1758)

		male female
2020-03-17 Besh Kungey mountains, Chuy region 2020-11-24 Malinovka	© Sergey Toropov © Irina Romanovskaia

Biology

Common, in places rare short distance migrant. Inhabits the deciduous and juniper forests with bushes and glades, the gardens and roadside thickets in towns and villages, on plains and in mountains at altitudes up to 2000 m. On dispersal and wintering visits the cereal fields (especially sunflower), shelterbelts, gardens, kitchen-gardens and thickets of tall weeds. In southern Kazakhstan appears in mid-February – early March, latest migrants registered in mid-May; in Uralsk area appears in April. Breeds in separate pairs at distance 60-150 m from each other. Nest is located on elm, willow, juniper, poplar, apple-tree and apricot-tree at height 2.8-12 m above the ground; nest is built by female from the thin twigs, grass stems and rootlets and is lined with hair and feathers. Clutch of 4-6 eggs is laid in early April to end of June, female incubates clutch for 12-14 days. Both parents feed juveniles which fledge at age 13-14 days old. Rears two broods per season, re-nesting after loss of first clutch is common. Autumn migration begins in end of August – early September in flocks of 8-30 birds, and continues up to end of October. Some birds observed in winter time from November to February.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Издательство Уральского университета, 2000.