Greenfinch Nesting: A Complete Guide

If you’ve ever seen flashes of yellow and green whizzing through your garden, you probably have greenfinches in your area.

These beautiful birds are favorites in our gardens, so we thought it was time to learn how and where they nest and what to make of them. So, here’s a complete guide to the greenfinch’s nesting habits.

Where do greenfinches nest?

Greenfinches like to nest in dense hedges and bushes. So they may nest in your garden if the environment is right, but more likely a hedge.

These green beauties usually nest in very dense bushes, but they will also nest in trees if dense enough. However, their nests are not high, just a few feet off the ground. Therefore, dense evergreens are ideal for greenfinch nests.

Nest of a European Greenfinch with a parent feeding the chicks

What does a greenfinch’s nest look like?

Greenfinches build their nests out of moss, grass, and twigs, and when we think of bird nests, they have the classic cup shape. Unlike many birds that build sturdy nests, which weave materials as they go, greenfinches are not as fussy about nest construction.

Greenfinches do invest some time in building their nests, but they usually only use them for one breeding season, so they don’t need to be very hardy. Instead, they cleverly use dense hedges and shrubs to disguise their nesting sites from predators.

Green-winged Nestle with six eggs inside

What time of year do greenfinches nest?

Greenfinches will begin nesting in late March to early April in preparation for the breeding season. Once the breeding season is over, they will leave the nest in August.

If you have dense hedges or trees in your garden, try not to cut them down during March and April. These are ideal sites for greenfinch nests.

The dense cover provides perfect camouflage for their nests and protects their young. If you spot greenfinches in your garden between April and August, be very careful when pruning the dense undergrowth, as there may be small greenfinches hiding in their nests.

A pair of green finches feeding on seeds

How Long Do Greenfinch Nest?

Greenfinches nest from April to August. This is their breeding season, so greenfinches are usually seen scouting nesting sites in late March.

How do greenfinches build their nests?

Greenfinches build their nests out of twigs, moss, and grass. They interweave the material to form a cup-shaped nest, a very typical bird nest.

For greenfinches, the key to nest building is location. They usually only use their nest once, and use cover to hide it well. Greenfinches usually nest in very dense bushes and hedges, as well as some evergreen trees. They bury their nests deeply in this dense material to disguise themselves.

Their nests are well hidden, so they don’t need to spend much time fortifying them. Instead, they can hide in dense bushes and concentrate on raising their chicks.

Greenfinch collecting nesting material for their nest

When does the little greenfinch leave the nest?

Little greenfinches leave the nest about 15 days after hatching. But stay with the parents and feed them for another three weeks.

Parents can lay 4-6 eggs per clutch, usually 2-3 clutches per year. The eggs take 12-14 days to hatch. As a result, babies spend an average of about 50 days with adults. Once the first chicks of the season have left, the adults will likely use the same nest to raise another chick.

How many broods does a greenfinch have?

Most greenfinches will have two litters, but if one of the first two fails, they will try a third.

There are many reasons for brood failure; however, predators are a big one. However, some broods fail due to nest building. If parents are a bit new to nest building, they tend to fail in brooding. If this happens, the parent will build a new nest and try again.

Greenfinch chick in nest

Do greenfinches nest in the same place every year?

Greenfinches use the same nesting sites each year, but they rarely use the exact same nest. Usually, nests are built for one season, and sometimes a litter.

British greenfinches don’t migrate, though. The furthest they have gone is several miles along this road. So, they will return to the same nesting areas every year as long as they have been successful in previous years.

What do green bird eggs look like?

Greenfinch eggs are shiny and often pale yellow, off-white or even bluish-white. They are usually covered with pink spots and occasionally black spots.

Male greenfinch collecting nesting material

What month do greenfinch lay eggs?

Greenfinch breeding begins in April and continues through August.

You may start hearing male greenfinches singing in January. It’s basically flirting. Males try to find females during the breeding season and most females have dates by the end of February.

This gives the couple time to find nesting sites and build their nests before breeding occurs in April.

So the first clutch of eggs is usually laid in April, and the second clutch will be laid after the chicks have left their parents, about 50 days later. Therefore, the greenfinch also lays eggs in late May and early June.

Greenfinch perched on a branch

Do greenfinches use nest boxes?

Greenfinches generally do not use nest boxes. Most birds that use bird boxes are cavity nesters, meaning they build their nests in natural cavities, for example in trees.

Greenfinches prefer to use very dense shrubs, hedges, and dense evergreen trees for their nests.

If you have hedges in your garden, it is best to avoid cutting them in March if you want to attract nesting greenfinches to your garden. They can use hedges to build nests.

You can also plant evergreens if you want to attract birds to nest in your garden.