GREENFINCH CROSSES

 Greenfinches breed readily in cage or aviary are available in a vast range of colours which make them very popular for hybridising 

clutch 4 to 6 eggs hatch after 13 days young leave the nest at about 14 to16 days and are self supporting at aprox 28 days at this time young should be put on a sulphur based product like Intradene to stop going light this should be used until the young fully moult out at which time the birds immune system can cope with the bacteria 

BREEDING PAGES CLICK HERE

COLOUR VARIANT GREENFINCHES CLICK HERE

  
Greenfinch Carduelis chloris

Status and distribution Widespread and abundant throughout much of the Region. Breeds in the British Is and from western France and Iberia east through Europe to Turkey, the Caucasus and the Urals. Found north to the Arctic Circle in coastal Norway, to the head of the Gulf of Bothnia and throughout central & southern Finland and in Russia north to the White Sea. In the south breeds on most larger Mediterranean islands and some of the Canaries, also in North-West Africa and the Middle East.

Northernmost populations are migratory, leaving breeding areas in Sep-Oct and returning in Apr, elsewhere a partial migrant or resident. In winter occurs more widely around the Mediterranean, particularly North Africa and on Cyprus, and in the Middle East.

Vagrants recorded on Iceland, the Faroes and in the far north of Scandinavia, on Madeira and the Canary Is. Introduced to the Azores.

Subspecies Nominate chloris is found over much of northern Europe replaced in southern Europe and North Africa by aurantiiventris with brighter plumage and larger bill but field separation of all races is difficult. Crimean and Caucasian race turkestanicus and chlorotica from the Near East are paler than nominate and greyer on wings and underparts.

Habitat Open coniferous, mixed and deciduous woodland and forest edges, farmland with copses and hedgerows, large gardens and town parks. In winter often in more open habitats including stubble fields and often along coasts.

 
GREENFINCH X CROSSBILL

This cross looks better when colour fed has been bred in many different colours very nice chunky bird shows both parents well

Cock Bird on the left and juvenile on the right was bred by Ron Phillips  this bird won Best Hybrid and CYB Hybrid at 1999 National

 

 

 

GREENFINCH X CANARY

Norwich canarys are a must with this cross as the bigger the bird the better and needs to be thick set one of the nicest mules on the bench, and if colour fed has a wonderful depth of colour this cross is easier using the Greenfinch hen as the cock is not so reliable 

 
  GREENFINCH X BULLFINCH This is a wonderful cross a yellow cock has everything required in a hybrid, this cross must be colour fed to bring out the depth of colour to attain its best potential  not easy to breed but a potential best in show winner if a resonable bird can be bred
This bird on the left is a Pied Greenfinch X Bullfinch Hen bred from a pied greenfinch, picture taken at Staffordshire B.B & M.C show 2003 bred by Lawson & Thundlow
 

GREENFINCH X CHAFFINCH

Beautiful  cross another potential best in show winner this cross as long as it is large has a good depth of colour and is steady well worth a try
GREENFINCH X GOLDFINCH

Lovely hybrid which can do very well on the show bench shows both parentage very well the bird on the left does not do this cross justice and shows a common neck fault which is seen often with goldfinch crosses

GREENFINCH X LINNET

Again both being similar brown based birds there is little point in wasting birds in this pairing, other than the achievement of breeding  a hybrid, they are quite easy to breed, again may be enhanced in the many colour variant forms possible by using the Greenfinch cock to produce colour variant hens               

Photos from Lubomir Vesely (Czeck Republic)

GREENFINCH X SISKIN

A nice hybrid, I prefer these birds not colour fed, both birds being green they have an excellent body colour and texture of feather showing both parentage to the full, very tame and accomodating 

 

GREENFINCH X REDPOLL

Again both being similar brown based birds there is little point in wasting birds in this pairing, other than the achievement of breeding  a hybrid, they are quite easy to breed, again may be enhanced in the many colour variant forms possible by using the Greenfinch cock to produce colour variant hens

NO PICTURE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME IF YOU CAN HELP WITH ONE  PLEASE EMAIL ME

GREENFINCH X TWITE

Again both being similar brown based birds there is little point in wasting birds in this pairing, other than the achievement of breeding  a hybrid, they are quite easy to breed, again may be enhanced in the many colour variant forms possible by using the Greenfinch cock to produce colour variant hens

NO PICTURE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME IF YOU CAN HELP WITH ONE  PLEASE EMAIL ME

GREENFINCH X BRAMBLEFINCH

Not often seen a hybrid well worth producing but I prefer the Greenfinch x Chaffinch a much prettier hybrid out of the two and slightly easier

 
HIMALAYAN X EUROPEAN GREENFINCH HYBRID F1 COCK 

 There are 3 species of greenfinch European ,Himalayan (corduelis spinodes ) and Chinese (corduelis sinica ) crossing of any of these species together produces fertile hybrids                                                      

GREENFINCH FEEDING TECHNIQUES  

SEED: good British finch mix with extra plain canary, including a very small amount of stripped sunflower or safflower, pine nuts, maw, niger and perilla also a good multi vitamin with added probiotic.I personally also use redband which is a pigeon condition seed

REARING: soaked seed, pinhead oatmeal, egg food, plentyful supply of  green food and small amounts of mealworms, fresh water daily and mineralised grit with a small amount of charcoal added.