Eurasian Goldfinch

About the Eurasian Goldfinch

The European goldfinch, or simply goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), is a small passerine bird in the finch family that is native to the Palearctic zone in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. It has been introduced to other areas, including Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay and the United States.

The breeding male has a red face with black markings around the eyes, and a black-and-white head. Its back and flanks are buff or chestnut brown. Its black wings feature a broad yellow bar. Its tail is black and its rump is white. Males and females are very similar, but females have a slightly smaller red area on their face.

The goldfinch is often depicted in Italian Renaissance paintings of the Madonna and Child. The European goldfinch was one of the birds described and illustrated by Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner in his Historiae animalium of 1555. The first formal description was by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae published in 1758. He introduced the binomial name, Fringilla carduelis. Carduelis is the Latin word for 'goldfinch'. The European goldfinch is now placed in the genus Carduelis that was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques... Wikipedia →