Why am I not able to attract Goldfinches to my Feeder (1 Viewer)

Hi,

I would like to know, or at least get some feedback as to why I'm having trouble attracting Goldfinches to my garden feeder here in the UK?

At my last address I used to get at least 2 or 3 goldfinches on my feeder, sometimes 2 to three times a day and this would be for most of the year.

I know there are Goldfinches in my area because I quite often see them round about. I have seen them on the telephone wire from my house and on my roof aerial. I even once saw one on my garden fence.

I have 2 feeders that I'm hoping they will visit - one full of Niger seed and the other Sunflower hearts.

How do birds find the food in feeders? Do they see the food and then go investigate, or do they find it by chance? This is something that has always puzzled me? I read in a forum quite recently that bright yellow feeders appear to attract more goldfinches? I'm not sure if this is true, but I thought I would try it - who knows maybe bright colours attract birds!

Any feedback greatly appreciateded

Sounds like you've got the right foods out....Keep it fresh and maybe during the colder months they'll find your feeders. Once found they seem to be loyal.
I have two family groups visiting my feeders daily and during winter get around twenty or so each day.

my advise would be to make sure they have somewhere to sit before landing at the feeder (they like to check it out first to make sure it's safe)

and as I said make sure the seed is fresh as they won't stick around for bad food.

hope it helps and enjoy
Brian

We live in Mid Sussex. For years we saw no goldfinches then we saw one and bought niger seeds for a feeder and chipped sunflower hearts for another. One, of the opposite sex turned up but they were both very shy. We presume they bred and told the others how stupid we were for providing free food. When we had counted at least twenty at a time someone parked in the lane we said there were many more than twenty, he reckoned about 100, maybe more!

We hate to think how many there are now. They don't eat niger seeds, just the sunflower chips. A sack a month at about £23 a month. I say they and the other birds cost more than feeding our, now departed, two labradors.

We can't give up on them now and there are no state befits available - unless you know different.

You have been warned, but they are fun and are shy to begin with.

Oh, and the distance from cover to the feeders is short.

Thank you Brian2 and the-wanderer for you feedback and advice,

As you say I will have to be patient. Do you think there is any truth in a bright yellow feeder attracting them..?

Like you, I have been puzzled as to why goldfinches are so reluctant to visit my feeders. There are plenty of them in the area. I have a yellow feeder filled with niger seeds, which they visit in ones and twos most days. But they are just as likely to feed from the sunflower hearts in my green feeder. It took several months before any visited at all, but now that they have established the habit, they do come regularly, albeit in small numbers. A problem with niger seeds,I found, was that as the other birds don`t eat them,they germinated in the warm, damp weather, before the goldfinches started visiting. I guess the message is, don`t put out too much at a time or it will be wasted.

Ian

Found sunflower hearts attracted more goldfinches then niger seed.
Also other birds will eat the sunflower hearts as well.
So its a win win

I used to have 6 or more GFs on our niger feeder at a time but then they all disappeared due to the large number of bully breeds (sparrows, starlings, corvids).

So I have changed the rest of the feeders to ones that will only allow the small breeds and I am now sitting back and waiting for results. (In week 3 now). Something is feeding at the niger seed feeder because the seed level is going down but it must be very early in the morning because I have yet to see it !

Good Luck!

Hi Paul,

I have a similar set up. No seed trays etc., so in theory only small birds will be able to feed from my niger and sunflower feeder. In fact I have 2 areas in my garden - one for the small breeds as I just mentioned and one to keep the bully breeds occupied - seems to be working, but still no sign of my sought after goldfinches?

Well if you had goldfinches before Paul, I'm sure you will eventually get them again - good luck