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24

European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) Alternate name(s): "Goldfinch", "Gowdie" German name(s): "Stieglitz", "Distelfink" Size: 12-13 cm; wing span 21-25 cm Weight: 14-19 g

Europe: Family Group 24 Family Group 24 Table White Wagtail Western Yellow Wagtail Grey Wagtail Tawny Pipit Red-throated Pipit Tree Pipit Meadow Pipit Water Pipit Eurasian Rock Pipit Greater Short-toed Lark Calandra Lark Woodlark Eurasian Skylark Bearded Reedling House Sparrow Tree Sparrow Spanish Sparrow Rock Sparrow Trumpeter Finch European Serin Atlantic Canary Red-fronted Serin Eurasian Siskin Common Redpoll Arctic Redpoll Common Linnet Brambling Common Chaffinch European Goldfinch Eurasian Bullfinch Hawfinch Common Crossbill Common Rosefinch Yellowhammer Cirl Bunting Common Reed Bunting Ortolan Bunting Black-headed Bunting Corn Bunting Rock Bunting House Bunting Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description European Goldfinches are medium-sized finches. They have a conspicuous scarlet facial mask from the crown to the throat, which contrasts with the white sides of the head and black nape and light-grey bill. The front, from chest to undertail coverts, is grey, with some brown-tinged areas on the sides of the chest. The mantle and upperwing coverts are brownish-grey, while the flight feathers are black with a prominent yellow bar. The tail is black. The irises are dark and the legs and feet are greyish-pink.

Taxonomy, classification See European Goldfinch at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to the ebird.org website. The global distribution of the European Goldfinch is available HERE . There are more than 10 races of European Goldfinches. The races belonging to the "carduelis" group populate much of Europe, except Scandinavia northward of southern Sweden but including the British Isles and Ireland, Asia Minor, parts of the Middle East, eastern Europe, plus northern Africa (basically the Atlas mountain range). The races belonging to the "caniceps" group are found in parts of central Asia to the East and South-east of the Caspian Sea. There are introduced populations in the North-east of the United States, in south-eastern Australia and in New Zealand. In Europe European Goldfinches of the "carduelis" group are permanent residents anywhere from England, Wales and Ireland in the West and Denmark and the Baltic states in the North, southward (only in the highest regions of the Alps they are breeding migrants). In eastern Europe, beyond a line connecting the Danube catchment and the Baltic states, and in southern Scandinavia they are breeding migrants. They are not found at all in central and northern Scandinavia and in the Scottish highlands. Race "parva" is present in Iberia (and the Canary Islands, Madeira and north-western Africa). Race "balcanica" is found in south-eastern Europe.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "carduelis" D. Wilczynska reports spotting an European Goldfinch, race "carduelis", along the river Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, in July 2016, and again in March 2019. Another was found near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, in August 2019. M. Thomas reports spotting an European Goldfinch, race "carduelis", in Eltville, Hessen, Germany, in January 2019. G. Normand found an European Goldfinch, race "carduelis", in Poitier, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, in November 2019. Another was spotted at Lac de Creteil, Paris, France, in February 2021. In the past we have seen European Goldfinches, race "carduelis", regularly in the Eifel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, over decades since the 1960ies. Race "parva" J. Pires reports finding European Goldfinches, race "parva", regularly in various locations in central Portugal. Race "balcanica" An European Goldfinch, race "balcanica", was caught, ringed and photographed by S. Cuturilov in Ovcarsko-Kablarski Canyon, near Cacak, Serbia, in October 2017.

Photos

Race "carduelis"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-frontal/ventral view of an European Goldfinch

Lateral view of an European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, July 2016]

Lateral view of an European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2019]

Lateral view of an European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2019]

Lateral/dorsal view of an European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, January 2019]

Two European Goldfinches foraging in tall grass

Race "parva"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an European Goldfinch call (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

Frontal view of an European Goldfinch issuing its call (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2019]

Near-lateral/ventral view of an European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

Lateral view of an European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2015]

Lateral view of an European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Badajoz, Badajoz province, Spain, June 2019]

Lateral view of an European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, January 2018]

Near-dorsal view of an European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2018]

Dorsal view of an European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2014]

European Goldfinches on high perches (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Peso, Montemor o Novo, Evora, Portugal, December 2018]

European Goldfinch with, for comparison, a Common Linnet (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, November 2018]

European Goldfinch with, for comparison, a male Stonechat (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2014]

Distant lateral view of an European Goldfinch banking to land (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of an immature European Goldfinch moulting into adult plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2014]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2015]

Lateral view of an juvenile European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2014]

Race "balcanica"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of an European Goldfinch (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Ovcarsko-Kablarski Canyon, near Cacak, Serbia, October 2017]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Apr - Sep

Eggs: 4 - 6

Incubation period: 11 - 13 days

Fledging age: 13 - 18 days

The breeding season depends a lot on geographical latitude and climatic conditions. The period listed in the table above applies to central Europe. European Goldfinches can have 2, sometimes 3, clutches per season.

Nest building: Female

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

Type: Basket

Material: Lichen, moss, grass, plant down

Height above ground: 1.5 - 5? m

View from above into an European Goldfinch nest in a vine (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Eltville, Hessen Germany, May 2019]

Eggs

Size: 17 x 13 mm

Colour: White, with sparse near-black speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

View from above into an European Goldfinch nest with 5 eggs inside (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Eltville, Hessen Germany, June 2019]

View from above into an European Goldfinch nest with 5 eggs inside (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Eltville, Hessen Germany, June 2019]

The owner of the European Goldfinch, whose temporary absence was used for a sneak peek
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Eltville, Hessen Germany, June 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial?

Mobility: Sedentary/migratory

Elementary unit: Pair/family clan

European Goldfinchs are a species of finch that does not form flocks outside the breeding season. They are usually found in small numbers, as pairs or family units.

Their preference for feeding on flowers and seeds of various species of thistles, and thereby spending a lot of time on thistles, has earned them their common German name of "Thistle Finch".

Frontal view of an European Goldfinch feeding on petals of a thistle (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2015]

Food, Diet

Adults: Seeds, buds

Dependents: Regurgitated seeds

Water intake: Regular

Like all finches known to us, European Goldfinches are primarily seed-eaters.

Note that cardueline finches (i.e. European Goldfinch, European Greenfinch, Eurasian Siskin and their close relatives) feed their young primarily regurgitated seeds, while fringilline finches (all others) feed their young primarily invertebrates.

Frontal view of an European Goldfinch feeding on petals of thistle flowers (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

Near-lateral view of an European Goldfinch feeding on parts of the flowers of milk thistles (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2015]

Lateral view of an European Goldfinch feeding on parts of the flowers of milk thistles (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2013]

European Goldfinch feeding on the seeds of a thistle (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, August 2019]

European Goldfinch feeding on the seeds of a thistle (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, August 2019]

European Goldfinch taking a sunflower kernel from a bird feeder (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, January 2019]

European Goldfinch taking sunflower kernels from a bird feeder (photo courtesy of G. Normand )
[Poitier, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, November 2019]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

goldfin_dw_20190417.m4a	carduelis (Poland)	Territorial calls(?)	© DW
goldfin_dw_20200829.m4a	carduelis (Poland)	? (in-flight)	© DW
goldfin_jp_20190507.m4a	parva (Portugal)	Various	© JP
goldfin_jp_20190704.m4a	parva (Portugal)	Various	© JP

More European Goldfinch sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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