Help with bird ID please

[catbasket]

We saw what we thought was a goldfinch at the feeder on Monday morning, but having caught the bird on video yesterday we're a tad as all pics we've seen show goldfinches with short beaks - but this bird seems to have a longer curved beak.

Apologies for picture quality, I'll try to get better ones with the still camera.





Cheers!

[Jeanied]

That is definitely a goldfinch, Catbasket - poor thing seems to have an overgrowth of its beak. It looks like it is managing to feed ok though.

[elsie-scot]

has def got long beak? looks like goldfinch
could try here The RSPB: Bird identifier

[binley100]

Just consulted my RSPB hand book. Looks like a goldfinch to me. It says the maleshave a slender bill and the females bill is shorter

[ladylottie]

Definitely a goldfinch, I get them on my bird feeders. Has it got something in it's beak though? The photo is to far away to see properly.

[catbasket]

That is definitely a goldfinch, Catbasket - poor thing seems to have an overgrowth of its beak. It looks like it is managing to feed ok though.

It looks like you're right. Poor thing indeed.

I've uploaded the vid to YouTube - here

[SueA]

It is a goldfinch & it does look like it's having problems due to the deformed beak but maybe it will adapt & survive, hope so, they're very pretty little birds.

[snohare]

Well, assuming it is not the avian equivalent in love of Cyrano de Bergerac, I would have thought that the longer beak would help it in feeding - after all it takes seeds from plants, this would allow it an advantage in getting pine cone seeds I would have thought ?

[Nicos]

very interesting to see!
it's clearly survived this awful winter...good on it ...it'd be interesting to see it's chicks!

[Prince of Durham]

If it has reached adulthood then it mustn't be suffering. There is or was a blackbird in Grassmere, Cumbria, that had next to no top of it's beak. It was there for at least three years, hanging around the same coffee shop. I suppose if your Goldfinch hasn't known any different, then it probably thinks there is nothing wrong.

[catbasket]

Hi folks,

A new visitor to the feeders today, we think it's a marsh tit.





On YouTube

[green thing]

willow or marsh tit look the same ?