A greenfinch flying at dawn in Monmouthshire, Wales

© Phil Savoie/Minden Picture

Come fly with me. A familiar member of the finch family

Flaunting a flash of yellow on its outer wing feathers as it flies, the greenfinch is a stocky bird with a distinctive forked tail. It is a common garden visitor and sociable seedeater, forming flocks with other finches, although they do tend to squabble among themselves or with other birds at the dinner table, where their robust size comes in handy. Found throughout the UK, the greenfinch is a chirpy character, known for its twittering and wheezing song – which sounds almost like it's singing with a cold.