Some may describe this bird as ‘a fancy sparrow’, but look closely and you’ll see the greenish colours and the yellow stripe on the wing edge. This one was feasting on rosemary. He aha tērā? What is that?
Answer: it’s a Greenfinch:
Identification: Length: 16 cm; Weight: 28 g
Similar species: Bellbird, Silvereye, House sparrow
A small songbird species in which adult males are green with yellow on the abdomen, bright yellow bars on the leading edges of the wings, a pinkish conical bill and pink legs. Females are duller with little yellow on the wings while juveniles are similar to adult females but with streaking on the breast.