European goldfinch
| European goldfinch | |
|---|---|
| C. c. carduelis in Switzerland | |
| Male C. c. britannica recorded in Gloucestershire, England | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
| Genus: | Carduelis |
| Species: | C. carduelis |
| Binomial name | |
| Carduelis carduelis | |
Breeding Summer visitor Breeding Resident Non-breeding winter visitor Introduced Introduced (now extinct) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Fringilla carduelis Linnaeus, 1758 | |
The European goldfinch or simply the 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. The back and flanks are buff or chestnut brown. The black wings have a broad yellow bar. The tail is black and the rump is white. Males and females are very similar, but females have a slightly smaller area of red on the face.
The goldfinch is often depicted in Italian Renaissance paintings of the Madonna and Child.