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24

European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) Alternate name(s): "Greenfinch" German name(s): "Grünfink", "Grünling" Size: 14-16 cm; wing span 24.5-27.5 cm Weight: 20-31 g

Europe: Family Group 24 Family Group 24 Table White Wagtail Western Yellow Wagtail Grey Wagtail Tawny Pipit Berthelot's 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 Greenfinches are medium-sized finches. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male have a greyish-olive front, from chin to undertail coverts, and grey flanks and ear coverts. The frons is yellowish, the crown, neck, back and wing coverts are greyish-olive. They have a prominent yellow patch on the carpal joint. Depending on light conditions the plumage can appear to be yellowish to olive. The flight feathers are grey, with pale-yellow leading edges. Female European Greenfinches have much duller colours than males. Their front is greyish-olive from chest to belly and the supercilium is also greyish-olive. The rest of the front, head, back and wings are grey. The uppertail of both sexes is dark-grey, while the undertail is greyish-olive, except for the tip, which is also dark-grey. The irises are black. The bill is grey, while the legs and feet are pinkish-grey. Juvenile European Greenfinches resemble females, but with duller colours and a lighter-grey bill.

Taxonomy, classification See European Greenfinch at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the European Greenfinch is available H ERE . There are 10 extant races of European Greenfinches. Altogether, their range extends from western Europe and North-west Africa into southern and central Asia (for details see a field guide). Most European Greenfinches are sedentary, even in the northern parts of their range, but some individuals migrate southwards during the winter. Apart from distinct island populations in the Mediterranean, the races are separated basically by geographical latitude. The race with the by far most extended range is nominate race "chloris", which is found in northern Scotland and a swathe from northern and central France along the North Sea coast to Norway and from there on eastwards via eastern Europe into central Asia, up to western Siberia. Nominate race "chloris" is found in mid-latitude central and eastern Europe. Race "harrison" populates Britain (except northern Scotland) and Ireland, while race "muehlei" is found in the Balkans, races "aurantiiventris", "madaraszi" and "vanmarli" around the Mediterranean (see a field guide for details) and race "bilkevitchi" in the area from southern Ukraine and eastern Turkey to the Caucasus and into northern Iran and South-west Turkmenistan. European Greenfinches have a preference for the edges of woodland and lightly wooded habitats, including the fringes of farmland and also parks and gardens.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "chloris" D. Wilczynska reports spotting European Greenfinches, race "chloris", in Ostrow Masowiezka, Masovia, Poland, in December 2015 and again in June 2016. M. Thomas reports finding an European Greenfinch, race "chloris", in Eltville, Hessen, Germany, in December 2016. M. Eaton spotted European Greenfinches, race "chloris", at Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018. H. Dahlem-Senger found European Greenfinches, race "chloris", at Harlesiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, in June 2021. In the past we have seen European Greenfinches, race "chloris", regularly in the Eifel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, over decades since the 1960ies. Race "muehlei" M. Eaton reports finding European Greenfinches, race "muehlei", at Split, Croatia, in September 2019. Race "vanmarli" J. Pires reports spotting European Greenfinches, race "vanmarli", regularly in the area around Mora, Evora, Portugal.

Photos

Race "chloris"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Frontal view of a male European Greenfinch with ruffled feathers (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, June 2016]

Near-frontal view of a male European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2018]

Near-frontal view of a male European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Near-frontal view of a preening male European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, June 2016]

Lateral view of a male European Greenfinch visiting a bird feeder (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2018]

Lateral view of a male European Greenfinch visiting a bird feeder (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2018]

Pair of European Greenfinches in bright sunshine; male in front, female at the back (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, June 2016]

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female European Greenfinch feeding in melting snow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2017]

Lateral view of a female European Greenfinch feeding on snow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2017]

Lateral view of a female European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, June 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a female European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, June 2016]

Dorsal view of a female European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2017]

PAIR

Pair of European Greenfinches in bright sunshine; male right, female left (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, June 2016]

Pair of European Greenfinches in bright sunshine; male right, female left (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, June 2016]

Pair of European Greenfinches in overcast conditions; male right, female left (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, June 2016]

Race "muehlei"

ADULT

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Split, Croatia, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a female European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Split, Croatia, September 2019]

Race "vanmarli"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

Frontal/ventral view of a male European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2020]

Lateral view of a male European Greenfinch feeding on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2018]

Lateral view of a moulting(?) male European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2014]

Lateral/ventral view of a male European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a preening male European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2014]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female European Greenfinch feeding on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2015]

Lateral view of a female European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2014]

Lateral view of a female European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, January 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a female European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a moulting female European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Alhos Vedros, Tejo estuary, Portugal, September 2019]

Sex unknown

Flock of European Greenfinches (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2014]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile European Greenfinch; note the striation down the front (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2017]

Lateral/ventral view of a juvenile European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil Dam, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2020]

Female, right, feeding a dependent juvenile European Greenfinch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2014]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Mar - July

Eggs: 3 - 6

Incubation period: 13 - 14 days

Fledging age: 16 - 18 days

The length and duration of the breeding season depends a lot on geographical latitude and climatic conditions. The period listed in the table above applies to central Europe. Also incubation and fledging times depend on external circumstances. In the southern parts of their range, European Greenfinches can have 2-3 broods per season.

Chicks leave the nest at about 13 days of age, but are not able to fly yet.

Nest building: Female

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

Type: Basket

Material: Twigs, grass, feathers, plant down

Height above ground: 1 - 3(?) m

View into an European Greenfinch nest in a dense shrub (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Eggs

Size: 21 x 14 mm

Colour: Pale-blue, with reddish-brown speckles

Shape: Elliptical

Closer look at the eggs in the European Greenfinch nest shown above (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Behaviour

European Greenfinches are quite shy and can be relatively hard to approach.

Food, Diet

Like all finches known to us, European Greenfinches 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.

Male European Greenfinch in the land of seeds aplenty (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, June 2016]

Male European Greenfinch foraging on the ground (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Harlesiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Lateral view of a female European Greenfinch feeding on the seeds of a thistle (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2017]

Lateral view of a female European Greenfinch feeding on the seeds of a thistle (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2017]

Lateral view of a female European Greenfinch taking seeds (sunflower kernels) from a bird feeder
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

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.

grfinch_dw_20160613_1.m4a	chloris (Poland)	Contact call?	© DW
grfinch_dw_20190323.m4a	chloris (Poland)	Pair Q&A	© DW
grfinch_dw_20160613.m4a	chloris (Poland)	Pair Q&A	© DW
grfinch_dw_20180414.m4a	chloris (Poland)	Territorial calls? (male, break of dawn)	© DW
grfinch_dw_20160613_2.m4a	chloris (Poland)	Various (pair)	© DW
grfinch_dw_20180414_2.m4a	chloris (Poland)	Various (female)	© DW
grfinch_dw_20200604_2.m4a	chloris (Poland)	?	© DW
grfinch_dw_20200604_3.m4a	chloris (Poland)	?	© DW
grfinch_jp_20200531.m4a	vanmarli (Portugal)	Various (+ Spanish Sparrow)	© JP
grfinch_jp_20180409.m4a	vanmarli (Portugal)	?	© JP

More European Greenfinch 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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Tue, 4 January 2022, 23:12 +00:00