Details
Carduelis carduelis
The European goldfinch is a small Palearctic finch marked by a red face and bright yellow wing bars. It travels by day through edges and open ground, picking seeds with a fine bill.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses grassland, farmland, orchards, woodland edges, parks, and other open habitats rich in seeding plants. In winter, flocks visit weedy fields and rough ground.
Length is 12-13 cm and weight 14-19 g. The red face, black-and-white head, and vivid yellow wing bar are distinctive, and the pointed bill extracts small seeds.
Diurnal birds form loose flocks outside the breeding season. They fly in light undulations and keep contact with clear, tinkling calls.
A herbivore, it feeds mainly on seeds of thistles, dandelions, and other composite plants. During breeding it may also provide small insects to chicks.
The female builds a neat cup nest on slender branches, lining it with plant fibers and down. Chicks are fed seeds and small animal food by the parents.
It is listed as Least Concern. Seed-rich gardens, field edges, and weedy patches provide important winter food.
