Carduelis carduelis
The European Goldfinch, an introduced species, inhabits parklands, paddocks and other disturbed grassland areas, feeding on seeds of thistles and grasses.
Numbers increase from a minimum in March to a peak in August. This may reflect the movement of flocks into the suburbs after the breeding season. There has been a steady decrease in numbers over the course of the survey, probably because the expansion of Canberra is destroying much of their favoured habitat.
Breeding records show nest building from early October to mid-December and dependent young mainly from mid-November to late February, but as late as April. R=39, BR=37.
