Listen to the European goldfinch
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the European goldfinch
The European goldfinch is a bird in the family Fringillidae (order Passeriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 24 cm and weigh around 2 g.
What does the European goldfinch sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as song and call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
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.
Related birds in the genus Carduelis
More from the family Fringillidae
Eurasian bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Eurasian chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
Common linnet
Linaria cannabina
Eurasian siskin
Spinus spinus
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustes
European greenfinch
Chloris chloris
Red crossbill
Loxia curvirostra
Brambling
Fringilla montifringilla
Common rosefinch
Carpodacus erythrinus
Common redpoll
Acanthis flammea
European serin
Serinus serinus
Frequently asked questions
What does an European goldfinch sound like?
You can hear 6 recordings of the European goldfinch on this page, including its song and call. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the European goldfinch endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the European goldfinch as “least concern”.
What family does the European goldfinch belong to?
The European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) belongs to the family Fringillidae in the order Passeriformes.
Sources & credits
- European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) (W1CDR0001491 BD15) – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Hanenburglaan, Den Haag, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands by Sander Pieterse – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Pornaistenniemi, Vanhankaupunginlahti, Helsinki, Uusimaa… by Hannu Varkki – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call · Oujda, Préfecture d'Oujda-Angad, Oriental, Morocco by محبي الطيور المغردة – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) - Parc Natural de s'Albufera, Spain 2022-04-16 by Ryan Hodnett – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) call - Oslo, Norway 2021-03-25 by Ryan Hodnett – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q25418 – CC0
- Wikipedia: European goldfinch – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Pierre Dalous – CC BY-SA 3.0