European Goldfinch

Appearance

One of the most colourful finches with a strikingly red face and bright yellow wingbars. In western taxa bodyparts are brown (carduelis group) but completely pale grey in eastern taxa (caniceps group). Birds belonging to the Eastern group also lack the black crown and neck. Juvenile birds of both groups lack the red face. In flight yellow wingbars can be recognised immediately even at great distances. Thin and pointed beak. Sexing in the field hardly possible based on minor differences in plumage.

Natural History

Widespread in Europe, incompletely distributed in the Eastern Palaearctic, introduced in the Nearctic, the Neotropics and Australia.

Feeds mostly seeds, buds, flowers and fruit of plants; additionally invertebrates.
Resident, migratory, partially migratory and nomadic. Flocks can grow up to 100 individuals. A regular visitor at bird feeders.

Taxonomy

Some authors treat Western and Eastern populations separately as European and Eastern Goldfinch, also list different subspecies.

European Goldfinch Group

European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis britannica
-> British Isles, NW France and W Netherlands
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis carduelis
-> S Scandinavia to C France and Italy and east to C European Russia
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis parva
-> SW Europe, NW Africa, Madeira, Balearic and Canary Is.
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis tschusii
-> Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis balcanica
-> Balkans, Greece, Crete and NW Turkey
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis niediecki
-> Middle East
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis brevirostris
-> E Turkey, S Caucasus and N Iran
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis colchica
-> N Caucasus and Crimea
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis loudoni
-> E Turkey, Azerbaijan and N Iran
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis major
-> SW and SC Siberia from E Urals E to R Yenisey, S to W Altai and N and NE Kazakhstan

Eastern Goldfinch Group

European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis paropanisi
-> W Turkmenistan and e Iran to nw China
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis subulata
-> NE Kazakhstan, SC Siberia and W Mongolia
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis caniceps
-> W and N Pakistan, Kashmir and NW Himalayas E to C Nepal and SW China

Object of study

Mimicry in song.

Song