Niger feeder

marian's birds · #1 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 07:53 PM

After spotting a goldfinch on one of my feeders at the end of November, I decided to take the plunge and get a niger feeder. Now I have up to 5 goldfinches in the garden at any one time.

For the first time this week, I spotted a different bird on the feeder. At first glance I thought it was a green finch, but it seemed to pale. Given my location, is it possible that it was a siskin?

Birdman1976 · #2 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 08:03 PM

Yeah it could well be a siskin. I live in South Oxfordshire and get them fairly regularly during the second half of winter, and they are always partial to some niger seed.

Nice spot if it was a Siskin. They are one of my favorite visiters.

Birdman1976 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 08:06 PM

If it was pale i suppose it could have been a female Greenfinch.....they are generally a more drab shade of green than the male Greenfinches. Siskins are noticeably smaller than Greenfinches though, which are about the same size/slightly larger than Goldfinches.

Hope it visits again and allows you to get a positive id.

marian's birds · #4 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 08:10 PM

I am aware of the colour variation in males and females - this one just "looked different" Unfortunately it didn't stay very long and it was raining at the time, the window I was looking through was wet, which didn't help either.

~T~ · #5 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 08:16 PM

Siskins come to my nyjer feeder along with a lone goldfinch.

Batfalcon · #6 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 08:20 PM

I think it would be a Siskin. I get Gold Finches, Redpolls and Siskins on my Nyger feeders.

Ive only seen a Green Finch try to eat from the Nyger feeder once. but I think its beak is too thick to get into the small holes on the feeder.