European goldfinch
Scientific name: Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Overview
The European goldfinch, or simply goldfinch, 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.
From the Wikipedia article “European goldfinch”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Conservation status
Least concern on the IUCN Red List, as recorded on Wikidata, citing The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021.3.
Size and lifespan
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Birth weight | 1.53 g |
Source: Wikidata, citing “AVIAN BODY SIZES IN RELATION TO FECUNDITY, MATING SYSTEM, DISPLAY BEHAVIOR, AND RESOURCE SHARING”, article by Terje Lislevand et al published June 2007 in Ecology.
Where it lives
The Catalogue of Life records it in: Africa; Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China); North America; Southern Asia.
Common names
Also known in English as Eurasian Goldfinch, Goldfinch.
Names in other languages (10)
- Arabic
- حسون أوراسي
- Chinese
- 红额金翅雀
- French
- chardonneret élégant
- German
- Distelfink, Stieglitz
- Japanese
- ゴシキヒワ
- Persian
- سهره طلایی
- Portuguese
- pintassilgo, Pintassilgo-comum, pintassilgo-europeu
- Russian
- черноголовый щегол
- Spanish
- Cardelino, Jilguero Europeo
- Turkish
- Saka kuşu
Related animals
Sources
-
Catalogue of Life — scientific name, classification, common names and range.
Version 2026-09-11, CC BY 4.0.
This species in the Catalogue of Life.
Citation
Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Aedo, C., Aescht, E., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (Version 2026-09-11). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgz5n Source database: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- GBIF — species page and recorded occurrences.
- Wikidata — conservation status, measurements, names in other languages. Q25418, CC0 1.0.
- Wikipedia — overview, from the article “European goldfinch”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo — Pierre Dalous, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
- Range map — No machine-readable author provided. MPF assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
Last updated: 4 October 2026