600px Atlas logo
Home > BirdFacts > finches > Goldfinch

For details point at or click the button; for sources point at the button
Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis   [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links
Order: Passeriformes Family: Carduelidae
BTO Codes: GO, GOLDF EURING No: 16530
Number in Britain: 299 thousand territories (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: GREEN
European: Not a species of concern
Global: Least Concern
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  

Status in UK: (A)  Migrant/Resident Breeder
Subspecies: britannica recorded in Britain (of 14 subsp. in the world)
.
Length: 12 cm Wingspan: 24 cm Weight: M/F: 17 g    
Scientific name from: L.: carduelis=the goldfinch
World Distribution: Eurasia, INTRODUCED: se Australia
Habitat: Woodland, farmland, open country
Diet: Small seeds esp daisies (Asteraceae) often half-ripe, some invertebrates in summer
line
Population and Distribution
Population Trend: Wider Countryside Report
Regional Trends: Scotland   Wales   England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Help with the New Atlas)    BBS Maps
British Population Size:
    Summer: 299 thousand territories in 2000
    First Record: 8th Century [Fossil evidence from Devensian (last) glaciation, 10-120,000 yr ago]
    Conservation Status: GREEN
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 GREEN     1996-2001 AMBER  
   Races of Concern: britannica AMBER (Important Population)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Villages
    Also common in: Reedbed
    And found in: Pasture Farmland, Towns
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
    Summer: 11 to 27 million pairs   (Trend in Numbers)
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(III), Bern(III)
Survey Results: Garden BirdWatch
Winter Farmland Bird Survey
line
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 17 x 13 mm Egg Weight: 1.5 g (of which 5 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 59   (more would be welcome!)
Clutch Size: 5 eggs 4.81 ± 0.66 (2 - 7) N = 659
Incubation: 13- 15 days 13.55 ± 1.99 (10 - 17.5) N = 659 by the: Female
Fledging: 14 - 17days 15.08 ± 2.12 (11 - 18.5) N = 1073 as: Altricial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: 25 May (26 Apr - 19 Jul)
Number of Broods: 2(3)
Trends in Breeding Productivity

Number Ringed: 6331
Adult Survival: 0.371 ± 0.018    (M:0.356 ± 0.049; F:0.399 ± 0.055)      
Juvenile Survival: 0.337 (in First-Year)  
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: 2 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 8yr 8m   (Germany: 11yr 9m)
line
Biometrics
Ring Size: A
Wing Length Adult: 78.3 ± 4.9 Range 75 - 82 mm, N =28543
Juvenile: 78.0 ± 2.3 75 - 82 mm, N =9027
Male: 79.3 ± 5.9 76 - 82 mm, N =16530
Female: 76.7 ± 1.9 74 - 80 mm, N =10240
Weight Adult: 15.80 ± 1.24 Range 14.00 - 18.00 g , N =22144
Juvenile: 15.59 ± 1.24 13.70 - 17.80 g , N =7273
Male: 16.12 ± 1.18 14.30 - 18.10 g , N =12823
Female: 15.30 ± 1.16 . 13.60 - 17.30 g , N =7930
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
line
Other Names
European Goldfinch
Gaelic: Deargan-fraoich Welsh: Nico
Danish: Stillits Dutch: Putter
Finnish: Tikli French: Chardonneret
German: Stieglitz Hungarian: Tengelic
Icelandic: Žistilfinka Irish: Lasair Choille
Italian: Cardellino Norwegian: Stillits
Polish: Szczygiel Portuguese: Pintassilgo
Spanish: Jilguero Swedish: Steglits
Local Names: Redhead
Collective Noun: Charm
line
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Newton, I. 1972 The finches Collins, London [598.982 NEW]
See Also:
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus

BTO blue divider
BirdWeb logo, click to go to BirdWeb BirdFacts home | BTO Home
Email: birdfacts@bto.org

These data should be cited as:
Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.24, June 2009). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)

 

© British Trust for Ornithology,
The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK.
Terms and Conditions
| Privacy Statement
Registered Charity Number 216652.


Pages maintained by Iain Downie & Rob Robinson