European Goldfinch: Captive Bred or Wild Caught?

[Bunny Whisperer]

I just acquired a European Goldfinch after a long search. First I ordered one at www.thefinchfarm.com, but I cancelled that order after I found out that their goldfinches were wild caught. I finally managed to get one at a local pet store where I was assured that the two goldfinches they possessed came from a breeder. My goldfinch, however, as I just realized, is not banded. Do goldfinches have to be banded to be sold in U.S? Does it mean that mine is wild caught and imported after all? Thanks a lot!

[Sally]

The lack of a band doesn't mean anything in the U.S., as many breeders don't bother with closed bands. In fact, I believe that those of us who do closed band are in the minority.

[jonvill]

My goldfinch is not banded because I never bothered. We don't have to band European birds here like they do in Europe. I think the best way to tell if your bird is cage bred or wild caught is if it panics when you approach the cage. My birds barely move when I stick my hand in their cages. Wild caught birds will try to escape the confines of the cage whenever humans approach.

[Bunny Whisperer]

Thanks for replying! My Goldfinch is not exactly tame, but isn't scared when I put my hands in the cage. If my hand comes too close she "walks" away from it without leaving the branch. She comes to my hand and eats from it, but doesn't want to sit on it. And she doesn't want to come out of the cage even though it stays open most of the time. I'm assuming she's a female as her nasal feathers are brown and her mask doesn't seem to go too far, though I cannot be sure, the male she was in cage with at the pet store picked her head bald. Also, I noticed an interesting behavior: swaying from side to side while uttering a one-note sound (similar to a whistle). Does anyone know what it means? She did that only once in response to a video of another goldfinch singing.

[Max]

Bunny my Female Siberian goldfinch does the shrill whistle too. She usually does this when she gets excited, when the Male brings her something exciting or when i put new things in the cage.
Hope this helps. The Cock makes the same shrill whistle however it is for much longer and sounds similar to a canary at times.

[Bunny Whisperer]

Thanks a lot! : )