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red face, gold wings, a voice like tiny bells. you're welcome.

Goldfinch says

Bird 9 of 30 · video, 16:47

Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

A red-faced finch with black and gold wings, once nearly trapped away, now a thistle-head regular.

  • Small, 15.8 g
  • Some come and go
  • Hedge or shrub
  • High in a tree
  • On a feeder or bird table
  • In a hedge or shrub
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About the goldfinch

Marks and dots

Tap a numbered dot, or a name in the list.

From egg to adult

  1. Egg

    Eggs5 eggs BTO

    Hatch after14 days video, BTO agrees

  2. Chick in the nest

    In the nest for14 days video, BTO agrees

    up to 5 young per brood video only

  3. Young bird

    A juvenile lacks the colourful face markings, but it already has the black and gold wings.

    Switch the drawing above to Young for its marks.

    Read about the young

  4. Adult

    Red face, black and gold wings

    Broods a yearup to 3 broods video, BTO agrees

BTO averages: 14 days incubating the eggs, then 15 days in the nest. Averages across nest records, so the figures above can differ a little.

At the table

  • black sunflower seeds
  • thistle, knapweed and dandelion seeds

Goldfinches feed regularly on weed seeds, including knapweed, thistle and dandelion. A group feeding together on ripe thistle heads is a striking sight. Black sunflower seeds are a useful addition to a bird table, but in towns goldfinches can still be rare visitors.

This page mentions bird tables. Since April 2026 the RSPB and the BTO advise against them, and say to feed seeds and peanuts only from November to April. What changed, and why.

Through the year

Aroundmonths you can see it
AroundYou can see the goldfinch all year round. That is what the video says.AwayMany go to France or Spain (December to February). That is from the video.AwayMany go to France or Spain (December to February). That is from the video.
First eggslaid, from the BTO
First eggsThe goldfinch lays its first eggs between 26 April and 19 July, and on average the first egg comes on 25 May. These dates are from the BTO, the British Trust for Ornithology.Average first eggThe average first egg is laid on 25 May (BTO).
Chicks leavethe nest, worked out
Chicks leave the nestThe first chicks fly from the nest between 22 May and 18 August. We worked this out, it was not recorded: the BTO's first-egg dates, plus 12–14 days for the eggs to hatch and 13.5–16.5 days for the chicks to leave the nest.

Goldfinch: around Jan to Dec; many go to France or Spain, Dec to Feb; first eggs laid 26 Apr to 19 Jul, average 25 May (BTO); first chicks leave the nest 22 May to 18 Aug (worked out from BTO).

What to know about the goldfinch

Eight short notes in our own words. Each chip says what the note stands on, and links to its row in the table below.

The goldfinch part of “British Birds in your Garden” by The Great British Channel, 16:47 to 18:19. Press play and it runs in YouTube's own player, with its captions and controls. Nothing from YouTube loads until you do, and after that YouTube can see your address. Watch it on YouTube instead.

What to look for

Colourful face markings make both male and female easy to know, and black and gold wings show on every age of bird.

checked, BTO

Male and female

Males and females look alike. BTO says the same.

checked, BTO BTO only

The young

A juvenile lacks the colourful face markings, but it already has the black and gold wings. Young birds are sometimes known as grey-pates (see the note on that claim).

checked, BTO video only

Song and call

A clear, tinkling song, as lovely as the colouring.

video only

Nest

Bushes and low trees are preferred, with orchards and gardens proving popular. The nest is a neat cup, beautifully lined with thistledown.

video only

Feeding

Goldfinches feed regularly on weed seeds, including knapweed, thistle and dandelion. A group feeding together on ripe thistle heads is a striking sight. Black sunflower seeds are a useful addition to a bird table, but in towns goldfinches can still be rare visitors.

video only

Staying or leaving

Many goldfinches head for France or Spain in winter, and the ones that stay often gather in sociable groups. BTO says goldfinches can be found throughout the year.

BTO only video only

In the garden

In the nineteenth century this was a popular caged bird, and trapping cut the British population to dangerously low levels. Protection has since ensured a full recovery.

video only

Sources and checks

Where every fact about the goldfinch came from

20 claims about the goldfinch: 6 checked, 9 from the video only,0 differ, 5 from a source only. How the grades work

Claim, in our wordsVideo timeGradeWhat the source says
Colourful face markings make both male and female distinctive.17:10 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO describes the red face and bright yellow wing bars, and says males and females look alike.
Goldfinches have lovely black and gold wings.17:18 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO mentions bright yellow wing bars.
BTO says male and female goldfinches look alike.source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species.
Juveniles lack the colourful face markings.17:15 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO says newly fledged juveniles lack the red facial plumage.
Juveniles are sometimes known as grey-pates.17:15 video onlyThe video's automatic captions garble the name, which is read here as grey-pates. It could not be confirmed in a primary source.
The goldfinch has a clear, tinkling song.16:47 video only
In the 19th century it was a popular caged bird, trapping cut the British population to dangerously low levels, and protection has since ensured a full recovery.16:52 video only
Goldfinches feed regularly on weed seeds, including knapweed, thistle and dandelion, and a group on ripe thistle heads is striking.17:24 video only
Black sunflower seeds will encourage goldfinches, but in urban areas they tend to be rare visitors.17:36 video only
Bushes and low trees are preferred for nesting, with orchards and gardens quite popular.17:46 video only
Nests are neat cup-shaped structures, beautifully lined with thistledown.17:51 video only
Up to three broods a year.video: up to 3 broods17:59 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05: 2 broods (3 exceptionally) (BTO typical)up to 3 sits between BTO's typical top (2) and the most BTO records (3)
As many as five young.video: up to 5 young per brood17:59 video onlyThe video counts young; BTO counts eggs, so the two are not compared.
Incubation takes 14 days.video: 14 days18:04 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05: 12–14 days (BTO typical)inside BTO's typical range of 12–14
The fledglings leave the nest two weeks later.video: 14 days18:06 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05: 13.5–16.5 days (BTO typical)inside BTO's typical range of 13.5–16.5
Many goldfinches head for France or Spain in winter, and remaining birds often gather in sociable groups.18:09 video only
BTO says goldfinches can be found throughout the year in Britain and Ireland.source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species.
Adult weight, from ringing records: 15.8 g, adult average.source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05: 15.8 g, adult average
Timing of the first clutch: first eggs laid around 25 May (26 Apr-19 Jul).source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05: first eggs laid around 25 May (26 Apr-19 Jul)
Typical clutch: 5 eggs (BTO typical).source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05: 5 eggs (BTO typical)

Written in our own words after “British Birds in your Garden” by The Great British Channel, where the goldfinch starts at 16:47.Numbers are checked against the BTO's page for the goldfinch, read on 5 October 2026. We are not connected to the channel or to the BTO.

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