There are several sub species of redpoll, they range for the small, dark brown lesser, through to the much larger and paler artic or Greenland redpoll.

The two species of interest to British bird breeders are the lesser, and the larger mealy redpoll.
Mealy Redpoll Carduelis flammea	Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret

Weather just starting or already experienced these two little finches will bring hours of pleasure to there owner, and what they lack in colour they make up in other ways, they are easy to cater for and can, with a bit of patients become very tame and have trust in their owner.

They don’t require anything "special" to be happy, a good mixed seed similar to those canaries eat will suffice.

However during breeding soak seed is necessary to rear chicks also some form of egg food, mine get scrambled egg which they enjoy, also seeding weeds such as chickweed etc, can be provided and will be of benefit.

Live food isn’t necessary but small wax worms and spiders and such like will be eaten and fed to chicks, and will aid chick growth.

They can be bred in canary breeding cages but if room will allow, then the more room they have the better it will be.

They make a fairly large nest for such a little finch, mine nest in baskets, also this season I had a pair nest in a canary nest pan in a cage with no cover and made the smallest nest and reared her brood without any trouble at all.

The own side of redpolls is sexing them, as these birds are monomorphic (cocks and hens the same) except the cock sports a red chest as well as a red head (the poll).

When studying redpolls in the wild this red chest of the cock is visual, however in captivity he looses the red chest and goes to a orangey colour.

But with the aid of colouring agents fed before and during the moult, the red chest can be clearly seen.

Another way of sexing redpolls is to watch them, the cocks are never quiet, and from dawn till dusk they "chatter" away, no song as such just chirping on and on, whilst the hen is more subdued and not so noisy.

There are several colour variants cinnamon is one silver another, also Isabel and white

A good size flight for redpolls will be about 6ft by 3ft, or as small as a double canary breeding cage but no smaller.

Redpolls usually start to nest at the end of April and carry on until June and sometimes onwards.

Nesting: there are several types of nesting material, dry grasses, damp moss small twigs and animal hair for lining, they can lay up to 7 eggs but 3-5 is normal these are incubated for 10 to 14 days and the chicks are very independent and grow fast, and sometimes leave the nest at 10 days, but are still fed by the parents for another 10 or so days.

Young redpolls if needing to be ringed should be done at around 5 days although a close watch needs to be kept on chick growth, as there feet grow quickly and so a small window of opportunity is only available (one day can be crucial).

Redpolls are easy going little finches and don’t need much to keep them happy, but with most British finches they can contract "going light", so it’s advisable to use some kind of “Sulphur” drug to stop this.