> Hi, Sort of new to bird watching. I have lots of
> Finches in my back yard, feeding them the thistel
> seed. What can I do for nesting. Not sure what
> type of nest they use.

Our Reply...

If you have finches throughout the summer they probably nest in your area. The majority of finches build their nest in trees, the Rosy Finch will somtimes use a man made nest box.

Here is a typical example:
The female Goldfinch builds the nest in a branch fork using forbs (A broad-leaved herb other than a grass, especially one growing in a field, prairie, or meadow. ) and other pliable vegetation.
The male Goldfinch will sometimes gather nest material and give it to the female to use. The eggs are pale blue or bluish-white, unmarked about 0.6" (16mm).

You can not directly provide a nest for them, but you can provide a habitat that they may use. Trees from 1 to 30 feet tall, and weedy grasses in a corner of your property (insect food source). A reliable food source such as your feeders.
Note: They may not use your feeders as much during the summer because they have other available food sources.

It is very important to keep your feeders clean year round but especially during the summer months. The thistle seeds will become moldy much quicker during the warmer months.

You can also help by being predator aware. The domestic house cat is probably the largest killer of mating bird pairs and the chicks.

I hope this helps.

Thank you for your question and for visiting the Central Florida Bird Watchers website.

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