Grey-crowned Goldfinch

Carduelis caniceps Vigors, 1831

10–14 cmLength22–26 cmWingspan16 gWeight

It has a pink bill and gray head, without the black crown of European Goldfinch.

Looks like European Goldfinch

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Bill pink
Crown gray, without a black cap
No vertical line behind the ear-coverts
Adult: legs and feet pink to dark brown

Male, female and young

The male has brighter and more extensive red on the face and brighter yellow on the wings; the juvenile has no red on the face and faint streaks on the breast.

Voice

The song is a long series of melodious gurgles and twitters; calls include “deedelit” and “chirik”.

Similar species

European Goldfinch

Grey-crowned Goldfinch lacks the black crown and the vertical line behind the ear-coverts of European Goldfinch; it usually inhabits higher elevations.

Where and when it's recorded

No records at the public birding hotspots we track. It may be rare, remote, or its locations protected.

About

The grey-crowned goldfinch (Carduelis caniceps), also known as the eastern goldfinch, Himalayan goldfinch or the grey-capped goldfinch, is a small passerine bird in the family Fringillidae that is distributed throughout Central Asia and the Himalayas.

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

Questions

How big is the Grey-crowned Goldfinch?

The Grey-crowned Goldfinch is about 10–14 cm long, with a wingspan of 22–26 cm and weighs around 16 g.

Where does the Grey-crowned Goldfinch live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: southern, eastern Iran and Central Asia from western Turkmenistan and northeastern Kazakhstan to south-central Siberia, western Mongolia, northwestern China and western, central Himalayas.

Is the Grey-crowned Goldfinch endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Grey-crowned Goldfinch as Least Concern.

What does the Grey-crowned Goldfinch eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Grey-crowned Goldfinch in?

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

At a glance

Length: 10–14 cm
Wingspan: 22–26 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: southern, eastern Iran and Central Asia from western Turkmenistan and northeastern Kazakhstan to south-central Siberia, western Mongolia, northwestern China and western, central Himalayas

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 2