European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758)

12–13 cmLength24 cmWingspan16 gWeight

The adult has a red face, black-and-white head and a single broad yellow patch on the black wings.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Adult: face red, black around the eye
Adult: head black-and-white
A single broad yellow band on the black wings
Male in the breeding season: tail black

Male, female and young

The male usually has a larger, darker red face mask extending slightly behind the eye, and black scapulars; the female’s red does not extend beyond the eye, and the scapulars are brown.

Voice

The call is melodious, like “tickeLIT”; the song is a series of silvery trills and twitters.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal

European Goldfinch has been recorded at 1,730 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 84 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Amwell HMWT NRUnited Kingdom5,775 records
Western Treatment PlantAustralia5,658 records
Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom5,217 records

More places

Desembocadura del Guadalhorce – ÁreaSpain4,439 records
Minsmere RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom4,376 records
Beddington FarmlandsUnited Kingdom4,075 records
Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira – área geralPortugal3,420 records
Rainham Marshes RSPB Reserve, SSSI and LNRUnited Kingdom3,326 records
Spurn Bird Observatory Recording AreaUnited Kingdom3,310 records
Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature ReserveAustralia3,186 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom Spain Portugal Australia New Zealand Germany Czechia France

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The European goldfinch, or simply goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), is a small passerine bird in the finch family that is native to the Palearctic zone in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. It has been introduced to other areas, including Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay and the United States.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the European Goldfinch?

The European Goldfinch is about 12–13 cm long, with a wingspan of 24 cm and weighs around 16 g.

Where does the European Goldfinch live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: temperate to subtropical western, central Palearctic in woods, scrub and gardens: British Isles, southern Scandinavia east through central, southern European Russia and northwestern Kazakhstan; in south to Iberian Peninsula, Madeira and Canary Islands (Macaronesia, west of northern Africa), Morocco to northern Egypt (northern Africa), Mediterranean, Turkey, Israel, northern Iran.. It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal.

When is the best time to see the European Goldfinch?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the European Goldfinch endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the European Goldfinch as Least Concern.

What does the European Goldfinch eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the European Goldfinch in?

It belongs to the family Finches, Euphonias (Fringillidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: 12–13 cm
Wingspan: 24 cm
Weight: 16 g
Habitat: Woodland
Diet: Seeds
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 77 mm
Tail: 49 mm
Bill: 15 mm
Tarsus: 15 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: temperate to subtropical western, central Palearctic in woods, scrub and gardens: British Isles, southern Scandinavia east through central, southern European Russia and northwestern Kazakhstan; in south to Iberian Peninsula, Madeira and Canary Islands (Macaronesia, west of northern Africa), Morocco to northern Egypt (northern Africa), Mediterranean, Turkey, Israel, northern Iran.

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2