In Spain, several Autonomous Communities have granted licenses to capture European goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis parva) during the post-breeding period, from August to December. In Galicia (NW Spain) and other Autonomous Communities, after 5-7 months of captivity, many birds are released. We tested the hypothesis that captivity results in biometric and body condition changes which affect the post-release survival of these birds. We used two groups captured in Galicia, the first made up of birds captured for ringing and the second consisting of birds captured by bird-trappers, kept in captivity for 5-7 months and then released. Two-way ANOVA tests were used to test the effect of group and sex on the wing, bill, head, tarsus and tail measurements. Birds held in captivity had shorter wings and longer bills than those captured for ringing. The significance of these morphometric changes is unknown but it is possible that they could have a detrimental effect on foraging behaviour and post-release survival. In light of this, those involved in keeping wild birds in captivity should review their husbandry techniques.

Since antiquity, the keeping of finches as pets has been common throughout the Mediterranean countries and it remains a widespread hobby to the present day. Since most finches are sourced from the wild this hobby can have implications for their conservation, especially for already imperilled species. We conducted a survey of 257 households in the city of Guelma, in the north-east of Algeria, and of 70 participants to a European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis show contest in Algiers, to understand the owners’ motives for keeping cage birds and find solutions to mitigate any negative effects on the trade. Keeping and showing finches in Algeria is a male-dominated hobby, especially for the 30–40 year age bracket. Our surveys indicate that almost 60% of households had a cage bird, with the European Goldfinch being the most popular species. With a mean of 0.75 goldfinches per household we estimate that in Guelma alone some 17,000 are kept in captivity. Between 70% and 90% of the owners indicated that their birds were indeed wild-sourced, and over 85% of them were aware of the protected status of the European Goldfinch in Algeria. Our findings underline the need for strict enforcement of existing laws and better targeted awareness campaigns to influence the behaviour of owners in order to reduce the demand for wild specimens.