Its twittering and wheezing song, and a flash of yellow and green as it flies make this finch a truly colourful character. It has a noticeable forked tail when perched.

A common countryside bird found in woods and hedges, but mostly found close to man on farmland and in parks, town and village gardens and orchards. Only absent from upland areas without trees and bushes.

All year round

Nesting in a garden conifer, or feasting on black sunflower seeds, it is a popular garden visitor, able to take advantage of food in town and city gardens at a time when intensive agriculture has deprived it of many weed seeds in the countryside. Although quite sociable, they may squabble among themselves or with other birds at the bird table

Common and widespread in Britain

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland as a breeding bird but suffered a recent decline due to parasitic infection.