European goldfinch

The European goldfinch or simply the goldfinch 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.

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Distribution

Region

Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia

Typical Environment

Native across most of Europe, extending into North Africa and western to central Asia. Prefers open, semi-open, and edge habitats such as hedgerows, orchards, gardens, parks, and lightly wooded farmland. Avoids dense, closed forests and very treeless high alpine zones. Common in human-modified landscapes and towns where seed resources are abundant. It has been introduced to Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the Americas, where it often occupies similar habitats.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 2000 m

Climate Zone

Temperate

Characteristics

Size12–13.5 cm

Wing Span21–25 cm

Male Weight0.017 kg

Female Weight0.016 kg

Life Expectancy8 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 2/5

Useful to know

This striking finch is easily recognized by its crimson face and bright yellow wing bar, and it often frequents gardens and parks. It favors thistle and teasel seeds and can deftly cling to seed heads while feeding. Historically kept as a songbird, it is renowned for its liquid, tinkling song and has been widely introduced beyond its native range.

Gallery

A European goldfinch nest and eggs

Goldfinch eating teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) seeds, Scotland

Madonna of the Goldfinch by Raphael, c. 1505–6

The Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius, 1654

Behaviour

Temperament

social and active

Flight Pattern

undulating flight with short, rapid wingbeats

Social Behavior

Outside the breeding season it forms lively flocks that forage together and move roost sites communally. Pairs nest in trees or tall shrubs, building a neat cup of plant fibers and down. Generally monogamous within a season, with both parents provisioning young.

Migratory Pattern

Partial migrant

Song Description

A bright, liquid warble with rapid trills and tinkling notes delivered in lively sequences. Calls include a distinctive, musical ‘tinkly’ twitter often given in flight. Males sing persistently from perches and during display flights.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

European green woodpecker

The European green woodpecker, also known as the yaffle and sometimes called a nickle, is a large green woodpecker with a bright red crown and a black moustache. Males have a red centre to the moustache stripe which is absent in females. It is resident across much of Europe and the western Palearctic but in Spain and Portugal it is replaced by the similar Iberian green woodpecker.

European herring gull

The European herring gull or simply herring gull is a large gull, up to 66 cm (26 in) long. It breeds throughout the northern and western coasts of Europe. Some European herring gulls, especially those resident in colder areas, migrate farther south in winter, but many are permanent residents, such as in Ireland, Britain, Iceland, or on the North Sea shores. They have a varied diet, including fish, crustaceans, as well as some plants, and are also scavengers, consuming carrion and food left by or stolen from humans.

European nightjar

The European nightjar, common goatsucker, Eurasian nightjar or just nightjar is a crepuscular and nocturnal bird in the nightjar family that breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic to Mongolia and Northwestern China. The Latin generic name refers to the old myth that the nocturnal nightjar suckled from goats, causing them to cease to give milk. The six subspecies differ clinally, the birds becoming smaller and paler towards the east of the range. All populations are migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. Their densely patterned grey and brown plumage makes individuals difficult to see in the daytime when they rest on the ground or perch motionless along a branch, although the male shows white patches in the wings and tail as he flies at night.

European pied flycatcher

The European pied flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. One of the four species of Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers, it hybridises to a limited extent with the collared flycatcher. It breeds in most of Europe and across the Western Palearctic. It is migratory, wintering mainly in tropical Africa. It usually builds its nests in holes on oak trees. This species practices polygyny, usually bigamy, with the male travelling large distances to acquire a second mate. The male will mate with the secondary female and then return to the primary female in order to help with aspects of child rearing, such as feeding.