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European Goldfinch
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
European Goldfinch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The Goldfinch or European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) is a small passerine bird in the finch family.
Habitat and range
It breeds across Europe, North Africa, and western and central Asia, in open, partially wooded lowlands. It is resident in the milder west of its range, but migrates from colder regions. It will also make local movements, even in the west, to escape bad weather. It has been introduced to many areas of the world (Snow and Perrins 1998).
Description
The average Goldfinch is 12-13 cm long with a wingspan of 21-25 cm and a weight of 14 to 19 grams. The sexes are broadly similar, with a red face, black and white head, warm brown upperparts, white underparts with buff flanks and breast patches, and black and yellow wings. On closer inspection male Goldfinches can often be distinguished by a larger, darker red mask that extends just behind the eye. In females, the red face does not reach the eye. The ivory-coloured bill is long and pointed, and the tail is forked. Goldfinches in breeding condition have a white bill, with a greyish or blackish mark at the tip for the rest of the year. Juveniles have a plain head and a greyer back but are unmistakable due to the yellow wing stripe. Birds in central Asia (caniceps group) have a plain grey head behind the red face, lacking the black and white head pattern of European and western Asian birds.
Taxonomy
The species is divided into two major groups, each comprising several races. The two groups intergrade at their boundary, so the caniceps group is not recognised as a distinct species despite its readily distinguishable plumage.
Carduelis carduelis carduelis group.
• Carduelis carduelis balcanica. Southeastern Europe.
• Carduelis carduelis brevirostris. Crimea, north Caucasus.
• Carduelis carduelis britannica. British Isles.
• Carduelis carduelis carduelis. Most of European mainland, Scandinavia.
• Carduelis carduelis loudoni. South Caucasus, Iran.
• Carduelis carduelis major. Western Siberia.
• Carduelis carduelis niediecki. Southwest Asia, northeast Africa.
• Carduelis carduelis parva. Atlantic Islands, Iberia, northwest Africa.
• Carduelis carduelis tschusii. Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily.
Carduelis carduelis caniceps group.
• Carduelis carduelis caniceps. Southern central Asia.
• Carduelis carduelis paropanisi. Afghanistan to western Himalaya and Tien Shan.
• Carduelis carduelis subulata. South-central Siberia.
Linnaeus classified the bird as Fringilla carduelis
Behaviour
The food is small seeds such as thistles (the Latin name is from carduus, thistle) and teasels, but insects are also taken when feeding young. It also regularly visits bird feeders in winter. They nest in the outer twigs of tall leafy trees, or even in bamboo, laying four to six eggs which hatch in 11-14 days.
In the winter they group together to form flocks of up to about 40 birds, occasionally more.
The song is a pleasant silvery twittering. The call is a melodic tickeLIT, and the song is a pleasant tinkling medley of trills and twitters, but always including the trisyllabic call phrase or a teLLIT-teLLIT-teLLIT.
In earlier times, the Goldfinch was kept as a cagebird for its song. Escapes from captivity and deliberate releases have colonised southeastern Australia and New Zealand.
Goldfinches are attracted to back gardens in Europe and North America by birdfeeders containing niger (commercially described as nyjer seed). This seed of an annual from South Asia is small, and high in oils. Special polycarbonate feeders with small oval slits at which the Goldfinches feed are sometimes used.
Relationships with humans
Goldfinches are commonly kept and bred in captivity around the world because of their distinctive appearance and pleasant song. The Goldfinch males are sometimes crossed with Canary females with the intention to produce male mules with beautiful singing voices, that often capture the best singing attributes of both breeds.
Because of the thistle seeds it eats, in Christian symbolism the Goldfinch is associated with the Passion and Christ's Crown of Thorns. The Goldfinch, appearing in pictures of the Madonna and the Christ Child, represents the foreknowledge Jesus and Mary had of the Crucifixion. Examples include the Madonna del cardellino or Madonna of the Goldfinch, painted (c. 1505-1506) by the Italian renaissance artist Raphael, in which John the Baptist offers the goldfinch to Christ in warning of his future. In Barocci's Holy Family a goldfinch is held in the hand of John the Baptist who holds it high out of reach of an interested cat. In Cima da Conegliano's Madonna and Child, a goldfinch flutters in the hand of the Christ Child. It is also an emblem of endurance, fruitfulness, and persistence. Because it symbolizes the Passion, the goldfinch is considered a "saviour" bird and may be pictured with the common fly (which represents sin and disease). During medieval times, this bird was used by some as a charm to ward off the plague.
Antonio Vivaldi composed a Concerto in D major for Flute "Il Gardellino" (RV 428, Op. 10 No. 3), where the singing of the Goldfinch is imitated by a flute. |
siggi, nglen, manyee, Luis52, accassidy, jaycee, goatman04, nasokoun, thor68, parasbhalla, Juyona, Noisette, CeltickRanger, oscarromulus has marked this note useful
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- siggi
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1373 W: 56 N: 4723]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(16252) - [2009-07-23 13:04]
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Hello Jose.
Another great image.Good POV and sharpnes.I like the pose from your bird.Details,colors and light are excellent.I like that nice OOF BG color.
Best regards Siggi
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- nglen
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2908 W: 34 N: 8625]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(32146) - [2009-07-23 13:11]
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Hi Jose. We had a pair in the garden tonight feeding . I like the warm colours in the fine close up. A good pose on the end of the small branch. Fine detail and sharp focusing. Stands out so well from thee plain BG. well done TFS.
Nick..
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- manyee
(21048)
- [2009-07-23 13:16]
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Beautiful, Jose.
The colors and light are lovely.
Excellent focus and eye contact.
Nice soft BG.
TFS. : )
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- Luis52
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1110 W: 5 N: 3457]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(12761) - [2009-07-23 14:06]
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Hola Jose.
Bella foto, colores suaves y bien definidos con gran nitidez, la pose muy bella tambien.
Saludos
Luis52.
Interesante conjunto Jose. Buen fondo, equilibrio general y buena pose del ave. Quizás algo de nitidez se echa en falta en algunos puntos, pero por todo lo demás una toma excelente.
Saludos: J. Ignasi.
Hello Jose,
Your collection of Portuguese birds is exceptional. Very well done. I notice you have a few butterflies coming along. I look forward to seeing more. This Goldfinch is beautifully captured with bery good colours and perfect focus. Best wishes.
Alan
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- jaycee
(21912)
- [2009-07-23 16:03]
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Hi Jose,
I think everything about this picture is beautiful starting with the pose on the edge of the branch. The colors of the face, wings and plumage are exquisite. Marvelous details of the eye, beak and feathers. The background is perfect and the composition is superb.
Jane
Hello Jose,
A great capture of this Euro-Finch with brilliant colors, sharpness & details. Well done & TFS.
Regards
Umar
hello Jose
beautiful composition and splendid colours, with too much good detail, the pose in the end, front in a also good background constitute one exceptional capture and photo
TFS
Nasos
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- thor68
(5642)
- [2009-07-23 23:22]
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what a fine capture of the beautiful goldfinch! :-) sharpness and details are good as well as the color and the wonderful
blurred background, love the pose and composition with it sitting on the old branch and the surprised look.
well done & best wishes, thor.
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- zetu
(6203)
- [2009-07-24 1:03]
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Hello Jose
Nice goldfinch capture with wonderful colors and great details
Regards
Razvan
Hi Jose,
Lovely bird and you have captured it neatly. Very nice bright colours. ALso neatly framed with awesome bg.
Very well done
TFS,
Kedar
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- joska
(5460)
- [2009-07-24 3:57]
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Very nice photo of this Goldfinch!
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- foozi
(9083)
- [2009-07-24 5:53]
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Hi Jose,
such a lovely capture of the bird. Excellent colours and sharpness. you have presented it very well with excellent skills. i like the birds in terms of colours and the graphical formation of the branch.
nice and beautiful.
regards,
Foozi
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- PeterZ
(17576)
- [2009-07-24 11:46]
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Hello Jose,
Very beautiful photo of this Goldfinch against a fine OOF BG. Great sharp details and natural colours. Excellent POV and composition.
Regards,
Peter
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- Juyona
(15565)
- [2009-07-24 15:03]
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Hola José,
sobresaliente captura,
nitidez y presentación perfecta.
saludos amigo.
Hello Jose
Splendid capture of this European Goldfinch very well perched on this branch
very sharp details and wonderful colors, great DOF and superb BG
Have a great WE
hello Jose
excellent close-up photo of the European Goldfinch,
with fine POV and framing, fine focus excellent sharpness
and details, beautifully blured background,
the catch-light render the photo more beautiful, TFS
Asbed
Jose,
This species, the male, sings MOST BEAUTIFULLY.
GREAT register.
EXCELLENT CLARITY.
Fond regards from Canada,
Mario.
Óla Jose,
Wonderful capture of the European Goldfinch!
Good sharpness, nice pOV and well controlled DOF. The background with blurred colors fits prefectly. The colors of the bird are just amazingly beautiful.
Thanks for sharing.
regards,
Paras Bhalla