The European greenfinch or simply the greenfinch is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.
Region
Europe and Western Palearctic
Typical Environment
Widespread across Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, occupying woodland edges, hedgerows, farmland, parks, and suburban gardens. It favors mosaic habitats with shrubs and small trees for nesting and open areas for foraging. The species is scarce in dense closed-canopy forests and treeless high moorlands. It has established introduced populations in New Zealand and southeastern Australia, where it uses similar anthropogenic habitats.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The European greenfinch is a robust finch often seen in gardens and parks, readily visiting bird feeders for sunflower and other oily seeds. Males are notably greener with bright yellow flashes on the wings and tail, while females are duller and more brownish-olive. Populations in parts of Europe, especially the UK and Ireland, declined after outbreaks of trichomonosis from the mid-2000s. It has been successfully introduced to New Zealand and parts of Australia.
Comparison between a male (top) and a female (bottom) greenfinch
Cuculus canorus bangsi in a clutch of Carduelis chloris - MHNT
Chloris chloris aurantiiventris - MHNT
Nest with eggs in Nottinghamshire, England
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
undulating flight with short rapid wingbeats and swooping glides
Social Behavior
Outside the breeding season it often forms flocks, sometimes mixed with other finches. Pairs are monogamous in a season and nest in dense shrubs or evergreens, building a neat cup nest. Clutches typically contain 3–6 eggs, and both parents feed the young, with increased insect provisioning during nestling stages.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
The song is a lively series of trills, twitters, and wheezy notes delivered from a perch or in a brief display flight. Calls include a distinctive nasal, buzzing 'dzwee' and soft twitters exchanged within flocks.
Plumage
Male is olive-green with bright yellow flashes on the primaries and outer tail feathers; female is browner and more streaked with olive tones. Plumage is generally smooth and uniform with subtle streaking on the underparts in females.
Diet
Primarily eats seeds from wild herbs, grasses, and trees, as well as cultivated crops such as oilseed rape and sunflower. It frequently visits garden feeders, where it prefers large oily seeds. During the breeding season, adults supplement their diet with insects to feed growing chicks. It will also take buds and soft fruits when available.
Preferred Environment
Forages in weedy fields, hedgerows, woodland edges, and urban gardens, often on or near the ground and within shrubs. Regularly uses bird tables and feeders, especially in winter, and may forage in small flocks.
