HUNTING HORIZONS - Worldwide Hunting Seasons Database

The Goldfinch [Carduelis carduelis] breeds across Europe, North Africa, western and central Asia. It is resident in the milder west of its range, but migrates from colder regions. It will move, even in the west, to escape bad weather.
Most of those which breed in northern Europe migrate to winter around the Mediterranean. In Britain, the Goldfinch is a partial migrant, with some birds, mainly males, staying in winter but others migrate to winter in Belgium, France and Spain. Females usually migrate more readily and for greater distances than males.
LENGTH: 12-13 cm WEIGHT: 14 to 19 kg WINGSPAN: 21–25 cm
The sexes are broadly similar, with a red face, black and white head, warm brown upperparts, white under parts with buff flanks and breast patches and black and yellow wings. The ivory-coloured bill is long and pointed, and the tail is forked. Goldfinches in breeding condition have a white bill, with a greyish or blackish mark at the tip for the rest of the year. Birds in central Asia have a plain grey head behind the red face, lacking the black and white head pattern of European and western Asian birds.
MALE: On closer inspection male Goldfinches can often be distinguished by a larger, darker red mask that extends just behind the eye.
FEMALE: In females, the red face does not reach the eye.
JUVENILE: Juveniles have a streaked brown head and a greyer back but are unmistakable due to the yellow wing stripe through their black wings.
HABITAT: Open, partially wooded lowlands; breeds and winters wherever there are weeds, especially thistles, on waste ground, hedgerows and areas of scrub.
FEEDING: Seeds and soft vegetation.
CALL: The call is a melodic tickeLIT; the song is a melody of trills and twitters including teLLIT-teLLIT-teLLIT.