House Finch

[sherrardk]

I just saw a small, red headed and chested bird (not a robin) on my fence. When I googled it the image was an exact match for the bird that I saw but after a bit more searching it seems they don’t live in the UK. Could it be an escaped pet?

[Toorak]

Possibly a redpoll - they look very similar?

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id

[sherrardk]

Thanks for that, but the bird I saw had a whole red race, it was very pretty.

[sddsddean]

Just checking...not a Goldfinch?
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=goldfinch&sxsrf=ALeKk01r_77rW8Rx_HgPdlqVhl3SpLHM6A:1594235283414&tbm=isch&;source=iu&;ictx=1&fir=1Af9n9FAJGLduM%252CLkJkrWPTSgFiPM%252C%252Fm%252F01gqnh&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTctLozsGIZiLsiBnVaMX-4zdkXFw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiojYaerb7qAhWsgVwKHfnIACcQ_B0wF3oECAIQAw&biw=1545&bih=938#imgrc=1Af9n9FAJGLduM

[sherrardk]

No, not a gold finch - the image that came up when I googled exactly matched the little bird that I saw. Hopefully I will see it again and I’ll try and get a photo of it. It was very striking and very bedraggled looking.

[Milvus]

Try the Common Rosefinch
https://ebird.org/species/comros
Not so common though, a migrant, doesn't breed here as yet. But they are still around at the moment

[sherrardk]

Good shout Milvus, it could be one of those - they’re very similar aren’t they? It was the prettiest little thing though, wasn’t happy about being rained on.

[Buenchico]

A common rosefinch might, indeed, be a possibility but sightings of it are so rare in the UK that you'd probably see loads of twitchers trying to spot it!

Crossbills are more common and they breed in your part of the country, Sherrardk:
https://www.birdspot.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/crossbill-1.jpg

[sherrardk]

Wasn’t one of those Buenchico, it was either the house finch or rose finch (it was very close to me so I saw it quite clearly). This will sound bonkers, but I’m wondering if someone has let the contents of their aviary go wild because I’m sure I saw a lovebird on our walk the other day.

[Buenchico]

There are plenty of non-indigenous birds about where they (or the birds that they're descended from) have been released into the wild.

There's a picnic site just a few miles from me here it's not unusual to see Amazon parrots and in some parts of the country (such as in Dartford's Central Park) the most populous birds by far are parakeets, which far outnumber the pigeons and other British species.

[THECORBYLOON]

What like was its call (if any)? Listening to the House Finch and the Common Rosefinch just now, you should hear the difference.

[sherrardk]

It wasn’t making any noise, think it was too miserable from being so soggy. I’ll have to keep a look out for it - I’ll try to get a photo if I see it again.