The Lincolnshire Bird Club

I have just had a flock of 25 goldfinches in the garden at Woodhall. One, which came briefly to the sunflower seed feeder, looked slimmer and longer, with longer wings, than the others. Its general colour was much paler than the others. The head pattern was typical goldfinch but the upperparts and under parts were a uniform pale cinnamon colour, it had the yellow wing bar, which looked long and narrow, and black flight feather tips. My thought was that if you crossed a canary with a goldfinch it could turn out like that. Unfortunately something spooked the flock, which deprived me of time for a detailed examination. I'm hoping it will return, but in the meantime can anyone tell me if this falls within the geographical variations for goldfinch?

John

John,
Over the years I have trapped a few Goldfinches with longer than normal wings. According to Lars Svensson the sub species found in the UK, Carduelis carduelis britannica, has a maximum wing length of 82mm whereas the sub species found in most of the rest of Europe goes up to 87mm. However, there is no obvious difference in plumage between either ssp. On size yours could be a continental bird but the plumage anomolies may be a result of hybridisation.
Regards,
Stuart

John
I've come across a goldfinch X linnet hybrid before in Lincolnshire (over 10 years ago) and presumably was an escaped cage bird.
Head and tail very much like goldfinch but main body more like a linnet. Should be a photo in the LBC album somewhere.

Regards
Brian

Cross breeding goldfinches with canaries used to be widespread in aviculture - and it still occurs.

You can Google "goldfinch canary mule" to see images.

Many thanks for the responses. The bird has been back again twice today and I have had a much better look at it. The general impression is of a very pale bird, especially in flight. The head colours are very diffuse and not well demarcated as in Carduelis carduelis, as well as being paler. Flanks and back are cinnamon as are the patches either side of the breast, the centre of the breast and belly are off white. The rump is white. I was wrong about the flight feathers. The tertials are tipped black but the primaries are off white. Where goldfinch has black upper wing coverts these are tawny brown. The tail is pale grey, tipped white. Legs are very pale pink. I would put the size as being perhaps up to 3% larger than the accompanying birds, not great but noticeable.
I think hybridisation must be the answer.

John