FINCHforum

Hi all .. i was wondering has any one tried to breeding european goldfinch to american goldfinch. if any one has what is the outcome are they called mules the babies? thanking all

I guess if someone trapped an American Goldfinch in Mexico or Canada and then either bred it or shipped it, outside of the U.S., then it could happen. Otherwise, you know it's illegal to capture the American Goldfinch.

American goldfinches are sometimes kept as cage birds in Europe where they are very expensive. This cross would be considered a "hybrid" not a mule. The term mule is used in reference to a finch x canary hybrid. While I don't know if this cross has been recorded yet, I think it would be a good question to ask on the web. Let us know what you discover!
John

Hi, I am not a breeder but just curious to learn that can 2 different species of finches breed?? thks

Here's a website that might help:
http://www.mulesandhybrids.co.uk

it's mostly about European birds crossed with canaries (mules) and crossed with each other (hybrids)
look at "all other varieties" for European birds crossed with non-European birds.
Enjoy
John

As far as I'm aware of this cross hasn't been done,

Goldfinch / American hooded Siskins have been bred here in England,

Two different species of finch crossed together are known as hybrids,

Mules are finch crossed with canaries

I used to be a very big exhibitor of exhibition British and mules at champion level for a number of years before moving onto more challenging birds like exotic waxbills and finches

The mules and hybrids site as mentioned above is one of me mates from old " Bernie Williams and explains probably all you'd need to know

As John mentioned the American Goldfinch is part of european breeders from some time now but because is so expensive everyone that has it tries to breed them in purity.
I have witnessed a very successful breeder in Italy which also had goldfinches and other species of spinus. I asked him is he had tried to hybridized any of them and the interesting answer was that the american goldfich has a different nesting period. In difference with the european goldfinch that starts nesting early spring the american goldfinch starts nesting in late summer.

both these passerienes are in the finch family but actually they are different species:
the european goldfinch is carduelis carduelis
the american goldfinch is Spinus tristis
breeding these species, as a result you will have a hybrid.

jimenezl wrote: I guess if someone trapped an American Goldfinch in Mexico or Canada and then either bred it or shipped it, outside of the U.S., then it could happen. Otherwise, you know it's illegal to capture the American Goldfinch.

Also illegal in Canada

Maybe try with european goldfinch that fell into false moult!! since it will get late into condition to be bred, slowly but surely


The european goldfinch, those who have chosen to migrate to North Africa in the winter, reproduce late in the summer, time for them to travel back to Europe and find a place to eat and nest. Unlike sedentary goldfinches or the one in captivity.

The C.carduelis parva is the first to get in condition for reproduction, it breeds a little early, late March