Chaffinches - male/female feeding differences?

Hi everyone, I was just watching a pair of chaffinches in my garden and noticed that I always see the male on the seed feeder, whilst the female prefers tp stay on the ground beneath the feeder and pick up the food that's fallen there. Is this a common difference between the genders or is this unique to this particular pair?

  • Hi Chris,

    Not only does it not get eaten, it all gets tossed out of the trays. My garden is covered in the stuff. Even the starlings won't eat it. I try sneaking very small amounts in my seed mix, but it still gets thrown out.

    Cheers, Linda.

    See my photos on Flickr

  • Hi Chris and Sparrow

    It's got to the point now that I'm thinking about slipping small amounts into my OH's morning mueseli - It's drastic measures time to just get rid of it.!!  What a waste, although I know that Squirrel's birds quite like it. - Why not mine?  I'm wondering if it's a particular part of the country delicacy.....mmmmm a bit like Haggis or black pudding or perhaps pickled pigs trotters..........oh wow my imaginaion is starting to go into overdriv  !!!!

  • Hi Kezmo,

    LOL - your OH perhaps won't notice the odd strange lump in his mueseli. Mine doesn't notice anything until after lunch. Also Kezmo, you forgot the deep fried Mars Bars in your regional delicacy list.

    It is supposed to be chaffinches who like Safflower. I wonder if it is the old queston - are our birds getting lazy. Safflower is a whole seed, and is quite hard. It must take a lot of chewing, or should I say breaking down to get at the good bits. Why bother when we provide sunflower hearts, and also I provide sunflower heart chips, which are even easier to eat. However, having looked at a couple of photos I've taken of my chaffinch on the feeder, his beak is always full of peanut granule, not seed.

    I just hope when it all sprouts the plants are pretty to look at.

    Cheers, Linda.

    See my photos on Flickr

  • Hi Sparrow

    Your'e right there, oh and perhaps even a perty flower at least!..............mmmmm deep fried Mars Bars, not had one of those for years - Mars Bars that is, not the deep fried bit but now I'm wondering !