GOLDFINCH 



561 



is characterised by the black wing, traversed, when open, b\' the golden 

 yellow bar from which the species takes its title. In the adult cock 

 the feathers at the root of the beak are black, as is the crown of the head, 

 from which extends a somewhat crescent-shaped sable band forming 

 the hind border of a white cheek-patch, defined in front by the bright 

 crimson of the forehead and throat ; the back is brown ; the inner 

 primary and the secondary wing-quills have white tips, as have most 

 of the otherwise black tail-feathers, although in the three outer pairs 

 these are replaced by spots ; with the exception of a broad brownish- 

 buff gorget on the breast, extending backwards to the flanks, the 

 under-parts are white. A smaller 

 red area on the head is distinctive 

 of hens. In young birds this 

 is altogether absent ; the upper- 

 parts are greyish brown, the 

 under - parts are spotted with 

 brown, the quills show buff in 

 place of white markings, and the 

 outer pair of tail-feathers alone 

 carries white spots. 



The geographical range of 

 the goldfinch extends to western 

 and central Siberia, where, as in 

 eastern Europe, it is represented 

 by a larger race known as C. e. 

 major, which interbreeds with the 

 grey-headed C. caniceps of eastern 

 Siberia. In Scandinavia the gold- 

 finch breeds some five degrees 



farther north than the brambling. Its distribution in England, although 

 local, is widespread, except in the north, where the species becomes 

 scarce. To Scotland the goldfinch is only an occasional visitor, and in 

 Ireland its distribution is very local. Like so many birds, goldfinches 

 are partial migrants in England during autumn and spring. 



Years aeo the enclosure of commons had doubtless much to do 

 with the diminution in the number of British goldfinches, as their chief 

 food consists in summer of the seeds of thistles and docks. Fruit- 

 trees, shrubs, or isolated forest-trees form the favourite nesting-sites of 

 this beautiful bird, which builds an elegant cup-shaped nest of moss, 

 decorated externally with lichen and lined with hair and down. Creamy 

 blue or bluish white is the ground-colour of the four or five rather small 



2 O 



THE ROWLAND 



GOLDFINCH (MALK) 



