European Goldfinch

Adults have a black and white head with red around the beak (but also black around the eyes), a brown back and chest and a whitish belly and neck. The European Glodfinch's wings are black with white spots and a yellow stripe down the middle, and this yellow, which is more extensive on the open wing, is what makes it easy for us to recognise it when it is flying. Black tail, also with white spots. Beak pinkish to white with a black tip and pinkish legs. Males are distinguished from females mainly by the greater extent of red on the head and white on the two outer black tail feathers. Juveniles (first summer-winter) have no red on the head until the following spring.

It is a species of Europe and North Africa and West and also Central Asia. Although it remains year-round in most of the areas where it occurs, in winter the more northerly populations migrate south but it also moves from areas with high altitude to lower altitudes, forming then quite large flocks (up to 100 individuals).

It lives in open woodland and areas with scattered trees/shrubs, tree lines, parks and gardens. It usually breeds below 1000 m altitude.

In Lesvos it can be found almost everywhere, often in family groups but also in larger flocks (winter) especially in coastal areas.

• Its beak is conical and long so that it can eat seeds that it pulls from the tops of plants. It also feeds on small buds and fruits as well as arthropods. Arthropods (flies, butterfly caterpillars and spiders) are also used to feed its nestlings.
• The male sings from an elevated point from February to July (breeding twice a year!) and again in September to December.
• The pair is formed by the end of winter when the birds are still in wintering flocks.
• The nest (a well-formed cup!) is built by the female and the male carries material (wool, feathers, grasses, leaves of aromatic plants!), carefully hidden in the vegetation (tree or bush), usually at a height of about 5-6 m from the ground.
• It lays 4-6 eggs which the female hatches alone for 10-12 days and the young remain in the nest and are fed by both parents for 2-3 weeks. The family stays together for about 2 weeks after the young leave the nest.
• Unfortunately, her beauty and melodic song make her the most "popular" bird to be illegally trapped in a cage. Either by individual "admirers" or also to be sold illegally in markets such as Schisto and other places in Greece.
• For this reason it has been introduced (escaped from captivity adapted and living in the wild) to areas in Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Argentina, Uruguay and the USA!
• There are 10 recognized subspecies and in Greece (Balkans and NW Turkey) we find Carduelis carduelis balcanica.