Photo of perfect male european goldfinch

Hello Everybody,

today i found an intresting photo of perfect male european goldfinch.
In this picture you can watch the right colors intensity, black yellow and red.

The light and contrast in this picture is pefect.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk36/romarosa2/6930562-lg-2.jpg

If you're asking yourself how is a male european goldfinch, well should be like this one! ;)

Nick

Breeding european goldfinch under controlled environment - light management

In order to be able to breed european goldfinch in captivity, it is necessary to have an aviary room in optimal conditions (temperature, humidity, light, air).

Sometimes it is not possible, for example in case of dark local. In this case It would be better not start breeding, unless they do not resort to artificial light.

Artificial light, in my view, has at least three advantages
- Increase period of breeding up to four months
- Control almost perfectly when moult starts
- Bring forward by one month the period of reproduction

We recommend using a neon 120cm each 5 mt square, and as many incandescent light bulbs to simulate sunrise and sunset.

A good light programmer needed!
In the table below is shown how to program the light to start playing in mid-April and end in mid-July.

I hope this topic can help you to manage better your artificial light and have a lot of goldfinch babies!

Have a nice day,
Nick

Young Female European Goldfinch

Take a look to this photo

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/5695/car1k.jpg

It's a young female goldfinch, going to have her first moulting.

Nick

How to Identify a Goldfinch? Sex-determination system.

It's very difficult to identify European Goldfinch's gender because of its low discrepancy between two sexes, especially before sexual maturation, when males can sing, and other factors, are much more evident.

We are going to fix some reference points to determinate sex of Goldfinch ancestral, as it occurs in nature, without mutations.

Male characteristics:
- Flesh tint red mask transhipped on top behind eye.
- Intense black color and marked
- Strikethrough on wing, yellow well defined and marked
- Over-wing is not dirty brown but clearly black
- Flattened head
- Broad base of the bill
- Well and of course... singing


Female characteristics:
- Faded, less vivid red mask, does not transhipped on top behind eye.
- Not Intense black color, not well marked
- Thin Strikethrough on wing, yellow not well defined and marked
- Over-wing is not clearly black but dirty brown
- Rounded head
- Broad base of the bill
- Not singing, but only plays "cheep"

Any Doubts? Contact me!
Nick