Goldfinch
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Goldfinch
Bird
The goldfinch is a dazzling little finch with a red face and gold-barred wings. Using its slender beak, it feeds on the seeds of teasels, thistles and knapweed, often gathering in tinkling flocks called "charms".
💡 Fun Facts
- The goldfinch has a bright red face and flashing golden wing-bars that glitter as it flies.
- A flock of goldfinches has a wonderful name — a "charm" — from the tinkling, twittering sound they make together.
- Their fine, pointed beaks are perfectly shaped to tweeze tiny seeds from prickly teasel and thistle heads that other birds cannot reach.
📅 Through the Year
- Breeding:April to August
Name Story
Carduelis carduelis
means “the thistle-finch”
What does its name mean?
- carduelis — goldfinch — the thistle-finchLatin (from carduus, 'thistle')
Carduelis grows out of the Latin word for 'thistle' — and that's no accident. Goldfinches adore thistle and teasel seeds, prising them out with their slender, pointed beaks. Scientists loved the name so much they used it twice.