Identify yellow bird?

This yellow bird stopped by on our small feeder today.  The pictures are not great - sorry.  We think it's a juvenile, possibly wagtail or yellowhammer although we think it might be early in the year.  Any ideas?  Thanks

  • Hi Carl, it looks like an adult Greenfinch (too early yet for juveniles). It's a bit fluffed up although the weather has turned very chilly in the last day. If it continues to look fluffed up and you see food stuck to its beak it may well have a disease called Trichomonosis which affects finches in particular. It is a parasite that lives in the gullet of the bird and sadly it often causes death when their gullet becomes blocked and they eventually starve to death; they tend to regurgitate the food and that can be dangerous if other birds pick up the food it spits out as it can contain the Trichomonas parasite and thus get transferred from bird to bird. If you do notice the bird continually fluffed up with damp looking plumage and food stuck to the edges of the beak, I would withdraw all feeders and water dishes as the disease can be spread, as I have mentioned, to other birds. It is not harmful to humans but you should (as we are already having to do ) wash your hands after handling feeders.
  • Thanks Hazel - very helpful and educational! We've only seen it once so will keep a lookout and if it looks to be diseased will act as you suggest. Hopefully it was just cold - we don't need any more disease around.

    Thanks again

    Carl
  • You're welcome Carl,    hopefully it was just this Arctic chill passing through that made it fluff its feathers up to keep warm.      However, if it does look unwell next time you see it you can check THIS WEBSITE for some indicators of the Trichomonosis as it gives good info.