What essential high-protein food source do parents supplement for Goldfinch nestlings during the breeding period?
Answer
Insects and other small invertebrates
While seeds constitute the fundamental diet for the adult European Goldfinch year-round, there is a necessary dietary shift when raising young. The rapid growth requirements of nestlings cannot be met by a purely seed-based diet, as seeds lack the necessary concentrated protein levels. Consequently, during the nesting season, the parents must actively forage for and provide high-protein supplements, which consist of insects and various other small invertebrates, to support the development of their offspring. Once the fledglings mature enough to process harder seeds, the diet reverts back to the mature seed base.
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