European greenfinch
Chloris chloris
Found in pines, gardens and along bush edges.
Story
Released in Nelson, Canterbury, Auckland and Otago from the early 1860s. It multiplied so fast that it was called the 'farmer's greatest enemy when grain is ripening'. Numbers fell as pasture replaced grain.
Behaviour
The stockiest introduced finch, with a heavy bill that cracks bigger seeds than other finches can. Winter flocks often mix with other finches, and one was estimated at 10,000 birds.