About Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758)
The average adult European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) measures 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in) in length, with a 21–25 cm (8.3–9.8 in) wingspan, and weighs 14 to 19 g (0.49 to 0.67 oz). There is very little visible difference between males and females, as both sexes share a red face, black and white patterned head, warm brown upperparts, white underparts with buff flanks and breast patches, and black-and-yellow wings. On close inspection, males can often be distinguished by a larger, darker red facial mask that extends just behind the eye; males also have black shoulder feathers, while females have brown shoulder feathers, and the female’s red facial coloration never extends past the eye. This species has a long, pointed, ivory-coloured bill and a forked tail. When in breeding condition, European goldfinches have a pale bill marked with grey or black at the tip; for the rest of the year, their bill is darker. Juveniles have a plain, unpatterned head and a greyer back, but can be easily identified by their distinct yellow wing stripe. Adult European goldfinches moult after the breeding season: some individuals start moulting in July, while others do not finish moulting until November. Immediately after moult, birds look less colourful, until the tips of the new grown feathers wear away. The species' song is a pleasant silvery twittering; its call is a melodic tickeLIT, and the full song is a pleasant tinkling medley of trills and twitters that always includes the tri-syllabic call phrase or a repeating teLLIT-teLLIT-teLLIT. The European goldfinch is native to Europe, North Africa, and western and central Asia. It lives in open, partially wooded lowlands. It remains resident year-round in the milder western regions of its native range, but migrates away from colder areas within its range. Even in western native regions, it makes local movements to escape bad weather. This species has been introduced to many other regions of the world. It was introduced to Bermuda, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Uruguay, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand during the 19th century; after introduction, its populations grew quickly and its range expanded greatly. In Australia, the species now occurs from Brisbane to the Eyre Peninsula, and it is spread throughout all of New Zealand. In the United States, it has become established in the western Great Lakes region.
