Carduelis Chloris

Carduelis chloris -- (Linnaeus, 1758) ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- PASSERIFORMES -- FRINGILLIDAE Common names: European Greenfinch; Common Greenfinch; Greenfinch; Verdier European Red List Assessment European Red List Status LC -- Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1) Assessment Information Year published: 2015 Date assessed: 2015-03-31 Assessor(s): BirdLife International Reviewer(s): Symes, A. Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L. Assessment Rationale European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC) EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

At both European and EU27 scales this species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations).

For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern within both Europe and the EU27. Occurrence Countries/Territories of Occurrence Native: Albania; Andorra; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland, Rep. of; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Gibraltar (to UK) Vagrant: Faroe Islands (to DK); Iceland Population The European population is estimated at 21,600,000-33,100,000 pairs, which equates to 43,200,000-66,100,000 mature individuals. The population in the EU27 is estimated at 18,100,000-26,000,000 pairs, which equates to 36,100,000-52,000,000 mature individuals. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Trend In Europe and the EU27 the population size is estimated to be stable. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Habitats and Ecology This species inhabits a wide variety of habitats in boreal, temperate, steppe and Mediterranean zones, including the edges of lowland forest, deciduous and mixed forests, woods, plantations, copses and groves, orchards, churchyards, hedgerows, parks, edges of cultivation and gardens. Outside the breeding season it is found in similar habitats, but also in open fields, marshes and along the shoreline of open coasts. It breeds from mid-March to mid-August and is principally monogamous although occasionally polygamous. The nest is built 1–20 m from the ground in a bush, hedge, tree, creepers and occasionally in old or disused nests of other species or sometimes in an artificial site. It is a well-made cup of dry twigs, grasses, moss, lichens, plant fibres and down, animal hair, feathers and occasionally some man-made material. Clutches are four to six eggs. The diet is made up of a wide range of seeds, buds, flowers, berries and fruit as well as some arthropods. Some populations of the species are migratory while others are sedentary (Clement and de Juana 2013). Habitats & Altitude Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land suitable non-breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland suitable non-breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Plantations suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Plantations suitable non-breeding Forest - Boreal suitable breeding Forest - Boreal suitable non-breeding Forest - Temperate suitable breeding Shrubland - Temperate suitable breeding Shrubland - Temperate suitable non-breeding Altitude max. 2000 m Occasional altitudinal limits Threats The species has suffered significant declines in the U.K. from trichomonosis, caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae, which lead to a fall in the population of ca. 35% between 2005 and 2010 (Lawson et al. 2012). The species is trapped in some parts of its range. Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Biological resource Hunting & trapping Timing Scope Severity Impact use terrestrial animals Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact (intentional use - species is the target) Stresses Reduced reproductive success Invasive and other Trichomonas Timing Scope Severity Impact problematic gallinae Ongoing Minority (<50%) Causing/Could Low Impact species, genes & cause fluctuations diseases Stresses Species mortality Conservation Conservation Actions Underway Bern Convention Appendix II. There are currently no known specific conservation measures for this species.

Conservation Actions Proposed Research on how trichomonosis developed as an emerging infectious disease is required to determine if and how outbreaks would occur in the future (Lawson et al. 2012). Bibliography Clement, P. and de Juana, E. 2013. European Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. and de Juana, E. (eds.) 2013. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/61334 on 24 March 2015). Lawson, B., Robinson, R.A., Colvile, K.M., Peck, K.M., Chantrey, J., Pennycott, T.W., Simpson, V.R., Toms, M.P. and Cunningham, A.A. 2012. The emergence and spread of finch trichomonosis in the British Isles. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 367(1604): 2852-2863. Map (see overleaf)