2. CHICKWEED - Stellaria Media
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Along with Dandelion, Chickweed is
probably the most-used greenfood
for canaries and British finches. The plant has long, brittle stems
ranging
from 6 to 18 inches in length and either creeeps along the ground or
climbs
through taller vegetation. The flowers are small (4mm) and white with
five
finely dissected petals. The plant prefers damp or semi-shaded places
though
huge quantities grow among the rows of wheat or barley. It should not
be
collected from any area subject to pesticide or herbicide sprays.
The seed pods are
stuffed with small globular seeds which turn yellow
and then brown as they ripen. Canaries which are feeding chicks will
abandon
almost any food in preference for the seedpods of chickweed and it is a
great conditioner at any time from early Spring onwards. They will also
eat the entire plant - stems and leaves together- as greenfood adn will
happily feed this to their chicks. |
2.a. MOUSE-EAR CHICKWEED - Cerastium vulgatum
| Mouse-Ear Chickweed should not be confused with
the true Chickweed - see above - because it is actually a completely
different
and unrelated plant. The leaves and stems of Mouse-Ear are NOT eaten by
canaries because they are covered in dense, almost microscopic hairs
that
make the plant feel 'woolly'. In fact the name 'mouse-ear' refers to
the
way the leaf 'feels' when you rub it between your fingers, rather than
the way it looks. It feels furry.
However, although canaries will not eat the leaves and stems they eat the seed-pods and seeds with gusto and it is a great resource when they are feeding chicks. The plant is very variable and over thirty varieties have been described - it can range from a few inches in height to 12 inches. It is very common in gardens, fields and on waste ground. |
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3. COLTSFOOT - Tussilago farfara
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After
the snowdrop, Coltsfoot is often the first sign of Spring here
in the UK and its yellow flowers, borne on scaly stems, are bright
spots
in late February, but March sees the climax of the blooming. Richard
Morse wrote: "Coltsfoot is a food and a medicine combined, and is one of the finest natural remedies for any trace of wheeziness or asthma. . .I have known cases where it has put an end to these disorders after all the chemist's drugs have been tried in vain. Practically all British birds take it with obvious relish and the wild Chaffinch is a real glutton for coltsfoot". The scaly flower stalks rise from the bare earth long before the leaves appear and the plant blooms before any leaves are seen. The leaf shape resembles the hoof-print of a young horse and gives the plant its common name. The flower resembles a paler and finer-petalled dandelion but the scaly stem immediately identifies the plant as Coltsfoot. Generations of British canary fanciers have fed their birds the flowers and seed heads of coltsfoot as a tonic and breeding conditioner. For centuries, herbalists have prescribed it as a specific for lung ailments, and bird fanciers have used it to combat wheezes and sneezes. |
4. GROUNDSEL - Senecio Vulgaris
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Richard
Morse wrote: "Groundsel is the oldest and best known of all our wild food plants for the birds and it very well deserves all the good names it has won" The plant has deeply dissected leaves with irregular 'teeth' and grows on poor ground, reaching heights from 4 to 12 inches. The flower heads are very small, about 5mm in size, and are almost indistinguishable from the seed heads; the only difference being that the flower head has a yellow tuft to it, which soon changes to a tuft of silky-white down. The scientific name 'senecio' comes from Latin: 'senex' - 'an old man', and refers to the seed heads which resemble white hair. Canaries, goldfinches, greenfinches and other birds will eat both the leaves and the seeds with relish. The plant has often been said to have a positive medicinal value for birds. Morse wrote: "Groundsel has long been known to have a stimulating action on the liver and kidneys and its use as a green food is often followed by a marked improvement of intractable internal disorders." |
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