The Eurasian Goldfinch or European Goldfinch is one of the beautiful bird species that inhabit Europe and North Africa. It is distinguished by its beautiful appearance and distinctive voice, which is why many people desire to own and breed it.
The presence of the Eurasian Goldfinch can be particularly noted in England, where suitable habitats are available for it to live.
It belongs to the chordate phylum, of the bird class.
Learn more about the distinctive facts surrounding the Eurasian Goldfinch through this article from teketrek.
Description of the goldfinch
The Eurasian Goldfinch has bright red markings on its face around its beak.
The Eurasian Goldfinch is characterized by black color around the eyes, while the rest of the face is colored in white and black.
The Eurasian Goldfinch has a back and wings of a yellowish-brown color, with a black tail and black wings surrounded by a broad yellow line.
During the breeding season, the beaks of both male and female goldfinches become white, but at other times of the year, they are distinguished by a black tip.
The Eurasian Goldfinch is small in size, measuring 12 to 14 cm in length, and weighing 17 grams, while its wingspan reaches up to 24 cm.
The preferred diet of the Eurasian Goldfinch:
Seeds make up the largest part of the Eurasian Goldfinch’s diet, however, it also eats some insects in the spring when seeds are hard to come by.
In gardens, the Eurasian Goldfinch particularly feeds on black niger seeds and some sunflower hearts.
Insects, including moths, beetles, flies, and spiders, make up a smaller part of these birds’ diet, especially in early spring and during the breeding season.
The chicks in the nest eat insect larvae, which their parents brought.When they grow up and leave the nest, they quickly learn how to pick and eat seeds.
Where does the European goldfinch live?
The Eurasian Goldfinch is found throughout Europe, North Africa, Western and Central Asia.
The Eurasian Goldfinch is also present in Australia, including Tasmania and New Zealand. In the United Kingdom, it is present throughout the country, except in the extreme northern regions of the Highlands in Scotland.
The habitats preferred by the Eurasian Goldfinch include open forests, gardens, grasslands, as well as agricultural lands and orchards.
The Eurasian Goldfinch likes to visit gardens and residential areas, where scattered trees are found.
It prefers low elevations in mountainous areas.
Many Eurasian Goldfinches living in northern areas migrate south in the winter months, while those in the western part of the range typically remain residents throughout the year.
What is the distribution size of the Eurasian Goldfinch?
Today, the Eurasian Goldfinch is more common than it was 20 to 30 years ago. Its numbers are estimated at around 150 million birds, with 2 million in the United Kingdom.
The Eurasian Goldfinch is widespread in all its habitats and is only missing in mountainous highlands.
Open forests, gardens, and agricultural lands are among its typical habitats.
How long do Eurasian Goldfinches live?
The usual lifespan of the Eurasian Goldfinch in the wild is about two years, but when the species has been kept in captivity, the maximum recorded lifespan is 8 years and 8 months.
Current population figures indicate that this species has doubled in number since the 1970s, partly due to the wider availability of commercial foods such as niger seeds, which are offered in more gardens.
Breeding stages of the Eurasian Goldfinch:
The Eurasian Goldfinch typically builds its nests between the branches of trees, especially fruit trees, at a height of 6 meters above the ground.
The female Eurasian Goldfinch alone forms a compact cup-shaped nest, using grasses, algae, spider webs, feathers, as well as flowers and buds.
Some males may help bring nesting materials, but the crafting is the sole work of the females.
The eggs of the Eurasian Goldfinch range in color from pale blue to white to speckled gray with brown markings.
The female lays between 4 to 6 eggs, which are incubated for 13 to 15 days by the female alone.
Despite their charming appearance, goldfinches tend to become aggressive towards other smaller and larger bird species, especially those trying to access the same food source.
The most important frequently asked questions about the Eurasian goldfinch?
What are the predators of the Eurasian Goldfinch?
Domestic cats are predators of the Eurasian Goldfinch.
What is the average lifespan of the Eurasian Goldfinch?
In the wild, the average lifespan of the Eurasian Goldfinch is two years.
How many types of goldfinch are there?
Four types of goldfinches: Eurasian goldfinch, common crossbill, red warbler, American goldfinch, and European greenfinch.
How do I make a goldfinch sing?
The goldfinch can be stimulated to sing by playing records of other birds’ sounds in front of it. These sounds will not be strange to it, and it will inevitably find itself interacting with it within a short time.
What is the sound of the goldfinch?
The European Goldfinch sound is called a chirp or a chirp.
In conclusion, Eurasian Goldfinches are often kept and bred in captivity around the world, due to their distinctive appearance and voice. If European Goldfinches are kept with local canary birds, they tend to lose their original song and prefer the songs of their cage mates. This is undesirable as it detracts from the appeal of the Eurasian Goldfinch.
We hope we have provided you with important and exciting information about the Eurasian Goldfinch that you have enjoyed.
Refrences
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