Has greenfinch dodged red list?
The first day of spring has arrived and everything’s coming up yellow.
Brimstone butterflies are on the wing in all their luminous glory. And across grassy meadows, cowslips are reflecting sunshine on newly unfurled golden petals.
Early bumblebees look as if they are wearing fluffy hi-vis jackets as they go about their business visiting clumps of sunny celandine that lighten up woodland glades.
For all of nature’s blazing shades of yellow, arguably the most striking are those displayed by a bird renowned for its green credentials.
The male greenfinch’s plumage combines shades of emerald, khaki and olive yet, when it takes to the wing, prepare to be dazzled by flashes of brilliant yellow.
One of the true sights of spring is the way greenfinches flaunt their fluorescent wing and tail markings to attract mates with shuffling display flights.
Sadly, these stunning aerial displays over suburban nesting territories have been noticeable by their absence during my morning dog walks in recent years. Greenfinches have been one of the most profound long-term casualties of declining bird numbers, with a 61% population drop since 1970. The British Trust for Ornithology’s Birdtrends report warned recently they face being red-listed as an endangered UK species.
A parasitic disease called trichomonosis has had a devastating effect, emphasising the importance of keeping feeders and bird baths hygienic to stop transmission.
Yet greenfinches appear to be very much on the rise this spring.
It’s not clear whether this is a result of lockdown and longer dog walks around residential streets or, more hopefully, a renaissance of this iconic bird because the trichomonosis threat is being reduced by bird lovers.
In an age of satellite dishes, the sight of old fashioned television aerials still being put to use as perches for greenfinches to launch their butterfly-like sorties with lots of wheezy twittering heralds more than spring’s arrival.
Greenfinches might be on the way back.
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This iconic bird has seen a 61% drop in population since 1970