The Natural range of the redpoll is the northern parts of North America, Europe and Asia where they may migrate to lowerelatitudes in the winter.
The lesser repoll was one of the the species included in a shipment of various kinds of birds imported to Nelson in 1862. It was subsequently released in other parts of New Zealand and became widely established.
In New Zealand, they feed on grass seeds and weed seeds such as dock, fat hen thistles and evening primrose.
The female builds the nest in a tree or bush, usually in scrub such as gorse, briar or lupin. The nest is a small untidy cup of fine twigs and grass, lined with feathers and hair. The smooth, glossy eggs are pale blue with pale pink or lilac markings, and about 17 mm by 13 mm. Incubation is by the female only. The young are fed by both parents, usually seeds only.
The lesser redpoll, Carduelis cabaret, has recently been split from the common or mealy redpoll, Carduelis flammea, a larger and paler species, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
