Authors: Ivan and Ekaterina Pronin Published: 04/07/2012
Goldfinch. Age 7 months.
Thanks to its characteristic color, the goldfinch cannot be confused with any other songbird. A bright red muzzle and lemon-yellow stripes on the wings, white dots on the black wings and tail - such a variegated color can be called literally exotic.
Goldfinches quickly settle into a home and cage and can become quite tame if you have the patience to tame it.
Goldfinches have a terribly quarrelsome character and can fight over one feeder, even if there are two or three feeders. Therefore, housing two goldfinches in one cage is not the best solution.
General characteristics and appearance
This representative of the finch family is a relative of the familiar sparrow. Ornithologists know that this name unites a large number of lines, among which greenfinches and redpolls, linnets and even siskins stand out. But the most common species remains the common goldfinch (aka black-headed). It is even smaller in size than a sparrow: an adult grows to 10, maximum 12 cm “from beak to tail,” and this with a weight of only 17-20 g.
Such a fragile build is compensated by his appearance. The bright red color of the front of the head contrasts with the white cheeks and the black tone of the back of the head with the crown. The beak is red and white, with a black tip and dark “whiskers” at the base. It is noteworthy that in adult birds in this area you can see a red ring, while in young birds there is no such decoration due to their age.
Important! Unknowingly, the goldfinch can easily be confused with the American siskin and other related species. When purchasing, be sure to pay attention to the red fragments in the design of the head - they indicate that this is a goldfinch.
The abdomen is reddish-brown (less often brown) and is similar in color to the chest. The white rump looks impressive against the background of a black tail with white specks. The wings stand apart - they are yellow (according to the color of the transverse stripes), and in their rear part there are alternating black and white small spots. Such a handsome man rests on his dark yellow, almost brown paws. Having found out exactly what the song goldfinch looks like, it is logical to ask how it behaves in nature.
The tame goldfinch Konstantin is simply handsome!
Today we will continue the conversation with Tatyana, who told us the story of two baby rats Bobby and Nikki, surrounded by care in her hospitable home, where they also live: the pug Quinty, the cat Morty, the parrot Pea and a tame goldfinch named Konstantin (which means “permanent”) ) This is exactly the bird our report is about, and for details, you are welcome on Instagram: @kvintiimorti, @_littlebobby and Kostya’s personal TikTok account: @bird_konstantin
– Tatyana, hello again! As we promised our readers, today we will continue our conversation about your amazing tame goldfinch Konstantin. But first we would like to remind you about all your pets, here they are:
Photo: @kvintiimorti / Instagram
- So, Kostya. How did you get it?
– We got Kostya in June last year. We were relaxing at the dacha with our entire large family (a cat, a dog, a parrot and 2 rats), and I noticed that our cat Morty had been sitting under the house for a long time and was looking at something. I was sure that it was either a beetle or a lizard. Curiosity got the better of me and I went over to take a look. My surprise knew no bounds when I saw a fluffy little ball with beady eyes) Our cat is a “hunter” and it was surprising that he didn’t touch him, perhaps because the chick froze, and the cat was waiting for him to move to grab.
Photo: @kvintiimorti / Instagram
When I took the chick in my hands, he didn’t even move. I didn’t find a nest, and there were no birds nearby, and neighbor’s cats often come into our territory, so it was decided to take the chick home.
Unusual bird feeders or how good things come back with joy
– Tanya, it must have been difficult to feed such a small chick? Was this your first experience?
– Yes, I had never worked with birds before, especially since the chick was very tiny. I read on the Internet how to make formula for feeding and realized that I would not find these ingredients at the dacha. It was decided to return home.
Video: @kvintiimorti / Instagram
The first time feeding was difficult, the chick was very weak, its beak did not want to open, it had to be force-fed. The next morning it was scary to look into the carrier, because it was not clear whether he was alive? But everything was fine and each time it became easier to feed the chick, and on the second day Kostya himself began to open his beak and away he went!
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Video: @kvintiimorti / Instagram
She fed every 1-1.5 hours - from 6 in the morning until 9-10 in the evening, and this was the case for a month. I felt like a nursing mother, Kostya awakened maternal feelings in me). He ate and immediately after eating he fell asleep in his arms, it was so cute!
- Yes, it was a difficult time for you. You couldn't leave the chick for a minute, could you?
– This month we took Kostya with us everywhere), so he got used to traveling by car and now he calmly, without stress, travels with us, this is how Kostya rides in the car. We can say that the bird has become an avid summer resident and traveler!
@bird_konstantin
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