A bird for all Seasons: Goldfinch

The goldfinch is a particularly eye-catching bird. With its red face, black cap and bright yellow plumes striped across its wings, it’s an easy and pleasing spot as it flits about your garden.

It’s a small species – on average it comes up slightly smaller than a robin. Being a social bird, you’ll often see it feeding in loose groups that are rather delightfully called a Charm. The charm creates a lush spectacle as they dart about simultaneously filling their bellies. I particularly love it come autumn as they all descend on my faded verbenas.

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Feeding

The goldfinch has a fine, well adapted beak making it an excellent seed feeder. It’s skilled at extracting seeds from plants such as thistles, teasels and, of course, verbenas. In the summer the parents will feed their young insects and invertebrates.

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Nests and Breeding

Goldfinches generally build their nests within thick cover several metres above the ground. They normally lay around five eggs in June and the chicks will hatch approximately two weeks later. They will stay in the safety of the nest for another two weeks before fledging. Goldfinches might raise multiple broods in one year. Mates generally only stay together for one breeding season. 

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Migration 

Most goldfinches stay in the UK for the duration of the year, but some might migrate for the winter, travelling as far as southern Spain. 

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Where do you find them? 

Goldfinches live prevalently throughout the UK with the exception of the more mountainous parts of Scotland. They can occupy almost any habitat that has a range of scattered trees and bushes. They can be found in woodland, domestic gardens, farms and parkland. They are most common in southern England.

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Conservation

The Goldfinch population is thriving and has more than doubled since the 1970’s. Around 1.2 million are thought to breed around the UK each year. However, the goldfinch still remains vulnerable to the wider challenges faced by all wildlife such as loss of habitat and climate change.

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