Finches · Perching birds
European Greenfinch
Link copied.
Chloris chloris
Link copied.
Voice
Song
Call
Call
How to recognize it
-
About 15 cm long
-
Compact body, short notched tail, thick conical bill
-
Olive-brown plumage; yellow wing stripe, females and young duller
-
Buzzing notes amid trills and twittering
About the species
Olive-green and brown plumage gives the European Greenfinch a softly mottled look, with a paler underside and dark streaks across the back. A bright yellow stripe flashes along the wing, and yellow also shows in the tail and at the rump. Females are duller, with more brown in their coloring.
It hops on the ground using both feet, then takes off in a quick, curving flight and may glide briefly before landing. Its song mixes trills and twittering with a drawn-out, buzzy "zheee". In spring, males sing from treetops and sometimes rise with wings and tail spread, gliding back down.
Look for it in gardens and parks with thick shrubs, as well as woodland edges and hedgerows. It feeds on seeds, berries, fruit, buds, flowers, and some insects. Most populations stay put, though those from the far north move south for winter.
Did you know?
-
One cropful feeds them all
Greenfinch parents come to the nest only a couple of times an hour, but one cropful of seeds is enough to feed the entire brood in a single visit.
Link copied.
-
Building nest two before fledging
A female greenfinch often starts building the next nest before the chicks of the first brood have even left the previous one.
Link copied.
-
Out-sings the songs it steals
The greenfinch has a rare gift among finches for mimicry: snatches of tit, goldfinch and sparrow songs come out of its beak louder and clearer than from the originals.
Link copied.
Where to find
-
In gardens with dense vegetation in spring, listen for the male's song — trills and a buzzing phrase from a treetop.
-
At woodland edges, watch for foraging among trees and bushes.
-
On the ground, watch for feeding — the European Greenfinch searches for food there as well as in trees and bushes.
