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The goldfinch might shade it for looks, but the chaffinch
deserves a place here not just because it is now one of our
commonest birds, but also because it's such a smart and
cheerful companion. With the male's neat and colourful
rig-out and its lively chattering, it gives off an air of a
happy, carefree soul. A Victorian commentator once wrote,
'to parents with a morose and sulky boy - my advice is,
buy him a chaffinch'. Yes, a simpler time, when parenting
advice was more straightforward.

Many of the birds that used to depend on farmland
have declined in number as farming has become more
industrialised and efficient. No more spilt grain from
working horses' nosebags, and fewer insects due to
pesticides.

But the chaffinch seems to have shrugged off these
inconveniences and managed to thrive. So much so, you're
as likely to see one on your garden bird feeder as you
are a country cousin hopping about on a rock in a remote
moorland stream. There are an estimated 7.5 million pairs

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