European Goldfinch

1. Bright red face mask with white cheeks and black crown.

2. Bold yellow wing stripe visible in flight.

3. Juveniles have plain heads but retain the yellow wing bar.

European Goldfinches primarily eat small seeds, especially those from thistles, dandelions, and other composite plants. Their long, pointed bills are well adapted for extracting seeds that many other birds cannot reach. During the breeding season, they also feed insects to their chicks. Outside of breeding, goldfinches gather in flocks, sometimes joining with other finch species. The female builds a neat, compact nest, often several meters above ground, using moss, lichens, and plant down, and attaches it to twigs with spider silk. Clutches usually contain 4–6 eggs, and both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after about two weeks. European Goldfinches can raise two or even three broods per season. Their populations may decline where modern farming reduces the availability of weed seeds, their primary food source`.`

European Goldfinches thrive in open areas with scattered trees and shrubs, such as farmland, parks, gardens, roadside verges, and weedy wastelands. They are commonly seen feeding on thistle and dandelion seeds, often hanging acrobatically from seed heads. In Australia, they are widespread in the southeast, from Brisbane to Tasmania and across to Adelaide, with smaller populations in Perth and Darwin. These birds are most active at dawn and late afternoon, and their pleasant calls often reveal their presence before they are seen`.`