European Goldfinch

["Brian Everingham" <>]

On my morning train trip to work I noticed a European Goldfinch amongst the flowering and seeding Scotch thistle along the rail lines near Yagoona, a suburb in SW Sydney.  I have not seen them that often in Sydney and looked up my copy of J Long, Introduced Birds of the World, to get the full story of introductions. I was intrigued there to read that the NSW populations were not introduced but were dispersals and that the dispersal routes into country towns seem to have been along the rail lines.

 

Now this is not that silly, given that this bird is a seed eater, but I was wondering just how much study had been done of the role played by the rail lines in the dispersal of both weeds and feral animals, both birds and mammals. Any comments?

 

What is the current status of the European Goldfinch too? Is it increasing or decreasing in numbers and range? It sure seems content in the Canberra region.

 

Brian Everingham
PO Box 269
Engadine
NSW 2233
Australia
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