What they like

Scruffy vegetation with food nearby. Think: hedges, scrub, conifers, climbers, and a quiet corner to nest. Leave dandelions, plantain and chickweed alone. Plant native shrubs that provide seeds and shelter: hawthorn, blackthorn, privet and rowan. In parks and yards: mow less strictly, let edges get ragged. In agricultural areas: wide field margins with herbs and grasses; mow ditch edges later and leave a strip standing.

Ecological importance

Seed-eater with a taste for buds and berries, but also feeds its young insects. So: the more herbs and rough vegetation, the better for the whole food web. It’s also prey for the sparrowhawk and sometimes house cats—cover in dense shrubs makes the difference.

When in the Netherlands

All year round. In winter often in flocks, sometimes associating with linnets and other finches.

Status

Breeding bird. Numbers have declined sharply since 2006; susceptible to disease outbreaks. Feeding birds? Clean feeders and water bowls frequently and scatter food rather than packing it together.