European Goldfinch

“The European goldfinch is a popular caged bird and is often illegally trafficked internationally.”

Summary

The European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) is native to Europe, Northern Africa, and Western to Central Asia. They inhabit open areas like woodlands and farmlands and spend all day covering an extensive area in search of food. They are social creatures, roosting and migrating in large flocks, and communicate with one another through tinkling melodies. Discover the exciting facts about the European goldfinch, including where it lives, what it eats, and how it behaves.

5 Amazing European Goldfinch Facts

• The European goldfinch is illegally trafficked and can be found in countries worldwide, including the United States.
• They attach their nests to tree twigs using spider silk.
• Males and females look similar, but males have slightly larger red face masks that extend to their eyes.
• They are frequent visitors to backyard feeders, especially those containing niger seeds.
• They forage by hovering over plants and will occasionally feed upside down.

Where to Find the European Goldfinch

European goldfinches live in Europe, Africa, and Asia in over 40 countries, including the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Armenia, and Turkey. They inhabit most of Europe but only reside in parts of North Africa and Western and Central Asia. Many populations are residents in their habitats, but those who live in colder regions may move south during winter. This bird is illegally trafficked and may appear in countries worldwide, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and parts of South America. Their habitats include open to semi-open areas, such as woodlands, forest edges, farmlands, thickets, and roadsides.

European Goldfinch Nest

Females build the nest with mosses, lichens, and plant down, placing it several feet above the ground in a tree. She conceals her nest with leaves and attaches it to the tree using spider silk. The males don’t assist in the construction but accompany the females while they busily work.

Scientific Name

The European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) belongs to the Passeriformes order in the Fringillidae family, consisting of the true finches. The Carduelis genus encompasses three European finch species and is Latin for “goldfinch.”

There are 14 subspecies of the European goldfinch:

• C. c. balcanica: Southeastern European
• C. c. brevirostris: Crimea, the northern Caucasus
• C. c. britannica: the British Isles
• C. c. carduelis: most of the European mainland, Scandinavia
• C. c. colchica: Crimea and the northern Caucasus
• C. c. frigoris: Western Siberia
• C. c. niediecki: Southwest Asia
• C. c. parva: Canary Islands, Iberia, northwest Africa
• C. c. tschusii: Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily
• C. c. volgensis: Southern Ukraine, southwestern Russia, and Northwestern Kazakhstan
• C. c. caniceps: Southern Central Asia
• C. c. paropanisi: Afghanistan to the western Himalayas
• C. c. subulata: South-central Siberia to Lake Baikal and Northwest Mongolia
• C. c. ultima: Southern Iran

Size, Appearance, and Behavior

The European goldfinch is a small passerine bird, measuring 4.7 to 5.1 inches long and weighing 0.4 to 0.7 ounces, with an 8.3- to 9.8-inch wingspan. Males and females look similar, with red face masks and black and white heads. However, males have larger face masks that extend behind their eyes. This species also have brown bodies with white underparts and black and yellow wings. 

These goldfinches are social birds, forming monogamous pairs during breeding and flocks of up to 40 individuals during winter. They communicate with each other through melodic songs. Their calls are tinkling trills and twitters, which sound like “teLLIT-teLLIT-teLLIT.” Goldfinches are diurnal, and this species spends its day covering an extensive range in search of food. At night, they roost in groups in trees or bushes.

Migration Pattern and Timing

The European goldfinches stay year-round in temperate regions but migrate from colder areas during winter. Most populations remain all year in the UK, but some groups may migrate as far south as Spain.

Diet

The European goldfinch is primarily an herbivore and typically only eats insects when young.

What Does the European Goldfinch Eat?

Their diet mainly consists of small seeds from thistles, cornflowers, and teasels. However, they will also eat buds, flowers, and fruits. It’s a frequent visitor to backyard bird feeders, especially those containing niger seed. These birds forage on the ground, in trees, shrubs, and weeds, quietly eating once they pick their fill. They often hover from plant to plant and may feed upside down.

Predators, Threats, and Conservation Status

The IUCN lists the European goldfinch as LC or “least concern.” Due to its extensive range and vast, increasing population, this species does not meet the criteria for “threatened” status. The biggest threat to this species is hunting and trapping. Moreover, it is a popular caged bird and is often illegally trafficked internationally.

What Eats the European Goldfinch?

Sparrowhawks and domestic cats are the primary predators of the European goldfinch, especially in the UK. Their nests are preyed on by various animals, such as mammals, snakes, and larger birds. Both parents defend a small area around their nests, and males will perch nearby and keep watch for intruders, giving alert calls when threatened.

Reproduction, Young, and Molting

European goldfinches form monogamous pair bonds for at least one breeding season, which begins in the spring. Females lay four to six white eggs with reddish-brown specks. The males bring food while the females incubate the eggs for 11 to 13 days. Both parents feed the chicks (seeds and insects), and they fledge the nest 13 to 18 days after hatching. Both sexes will continue to provide for their young for another week before preparing for their next brood (two to three a year). This species reaches sexual maturity around one year and lives an average of 2.4 years but can live up to 13 years.

Population

The global European goldfinch population is approximately 55 to 88 million mature individuals. Trends suggest the European population is increasing and stable everywhere else. They are not experiencing any extreme fluctuations or fragmentations in their numbers.

Related Animals:

• European Robin
• European Starling
• European Bee-Eater

1. IUCN Redlist of threatened species, Available here: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/103764950/199579742
2. CSIRO.au, Available here: https://www.publish.csiro.au/MU/MU970012