Carduelis carduelis · Irish: Lasair Choille
A flash of scarlet and gold — the "flame of the forest".
Habitat: Gardens, parks and scrubland with thistles and seed-heads. | Season: All year
Feeds acrobatically on seed heads and niger-seed feeders; travels in flocks known as "charms".
A flock of Goldfinches is traditionally called a "charm", after the bird's light, twittering song — in the 19th century their good looks made them popular cagebirds, which once put wild populations under real pressure.
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