Russia's wildlife ABC: Shchegol
A flamboyant dandy whose name has become a household word.
It’s impossible not to notice this small bird. Its plumage combines white, black and ochre tones, with a bright red patch around its beak and broad lemon-yellow stripes on its wings. The goldfinch lives in forests, gardens and parks. In Russian, the word ‘shchegol’ has become a byword: it’s used to describe a young, but overly self-assured person.