| Goldfinch | |
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| InBirmingham, England | |
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| Genus: | Carduelis |
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| Carduelis carduelis carduelis 1 summer 2 all year Carduelis carduelis caniceps 3 summer 4 all year | |
Goldfinch arefinches of thegenusCarduelis. They are smallpasserine birds of thefamilyFringillidae.[1][2]
The goldfinch breeds acrossEurope,North Africa, and western and centralAsia, in open, partially wooded lowlands. It is resident in the milder west of its range, butmigrates from colder regions. It will also make local movements, even in the west, to escape bad weather. It has been introduced to many areas of the world.[3]
The goldfinch's preferred food is smallseeds such as those fromthistles andteasels, but insects are also taken when feeding young. It also regularly visits bird feeders in winter. They nest in the outer twigs of tall leafy trees, or even in bamboo, laying four to sixeggs which hatch in 11–14 days.
In the winter goldfinches group together to form flocks of up to forty birds, occasionally more. The song is a pleasant silvery twittering.
