Granddad’s Camera
Goldfinch, as it appears in the game

No.006 · Birds · Common

Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

A tiny bird in a harlequin mask: red face, black-and-white head and a bar of gold across each wing. Flocks tinkle overhead and feed on thistles and teasels.

When to look

All year, mostly at dawn and day.

Time of day

Best time
Daytime all year; feeders in winter, thistle and teasel seedheads in late summer and autumn.
Where in the game
Millbrook (garden, park, churchyard, farmland and urban)
Size
Length 12–14 cm
Wingspan
About 24 cm
Weight
About 16 g (BTO adult average)
Lifespan
Average about 2 years; the oldest ringed bird lived 10 years (Wildlife Trusts, BTO)
Population
About 1.7 million pairs in the UK (BTO, 2016); BTO notes a 148% rise since 1995
Status
Green (Birds of Conservation Concern 5, 2021)

Diet

Small seeds: teasel, thistle, dandelion and nyjer; some insects for the chicks.

Habitat

Gardens, parks, waste ground, hedges and orchards.

Breeding

Nests high in tree branches from May; about 5 pale eggs; usually 2 broods, sometimes 3, until August.

Field signs

  • Liquid twittering 'tswit-wit-wit' flight call
  • Flocks (called a 'charm') on teasel and thistle heads
  • Broad yellow wing-bars in flight

Did you know?

  • A group of goldfinches is called a 'charm', from an old word for the noise of many voices.
  • Goldfinches are seen more in gardens since the 1990s, when many more began to visit feeders in winter, especially those with nyjer seed.
  • Its long, thin bill is made for extracting small seeds from teasel heads.

Moments worth waiting for

  • A charm on the teasel July to October, day
    A charm of goldfinches clings to a teasel head, picking seeds and tinkling to each other.

Photo tip

Teasel and thistle patches at the edge of the park are best. Wait for the gold wing-bar to flash as it turns, and expose for the bright red face.

Be a good naturalist

Grow your own teasels or leave thistle patches instead of feeding heavily. Do not catch or keep goldfinches: it is illegal to take wild birds.

The law

All wild birds, their nests and eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; it is an offence to kill, injure or take them or damage an active nest.

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