Crimson-browed Finch vs European Goldfinch

Carpodacus subhimachalus compared with Carduelis carduelis

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Crimson-browed Finch European Goldfinch
Scientific Name Carpodacus subhimachalus Carduelis carduelis
Order Passeriformes Passeriformes
Family Fringillidae Fringillidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — 13.0 cm (5.1 in)
Wingspan 18.0 cm (7.1 in) 23.0 cm (9.1 in)
Weight 46.449999999999996 g (1.64 oz) 16.0 g (0.56 oz)
Diet -- Seeds, especially thistle (Carduus) and teasel seeds, extracted with its precise tweezer-like bill. Also takes …
Clutch Size -- 4-6
Population Trend — —

Size Comparison

Body Length
Crimson-browed Finch —
European Goldfinch 13.0 cm
Wingspan
Crimson-browed Finch 18.0 cm
European Goldfinch 23.0 cm
Weight
Crimson-browed Finch 46.449999999999996 g
European Goldfinch 16.0 g

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Crimson-browed Finch only

None

European Goldfinch only

European Goldfinch

Open woodland, orchards, gardens, parks, and weedy fields with seed-bearing plants. Common at garden bird feeders.

Song & Call Comparison

Crimson-browed Finch

European Goldfinch

Song

A liquid, tinkling 'swit-swit-swit' in flight and a melodic twittering song. Flocks produce a bright jingling chorus. Male song is a sweet repetitive warble incorporating the flight call.

Geographic Range & Migration

Crimson-browed Finch

European Goldfinch

Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Introduced to Australia, New Zealand, and parts of South America.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Crimson-browed Finch

Least Concern

European Goldfinch

How to Tell Them Apart

Crimson-browed Finch

European Goldfinch

Plumage

Crimson red face with white cheeks and a black crown. Sandy-brown back with a bright yellow wing bar visible in flight. Black and white tail.

Bill

Slender, pointed, ivory-pink bill adapted for extracting seeds from thistles

About These Birds

European Goldfinch

The European goldfinch is a strikingly beautiful finch whose tinkling song and colorful plumage have made it popular in art and as a caged bird for centuries. It appears frequently in Renaissance paintings as a symbol of the Passion of Christ. Flocks of goldfinches are charmingly called a charm.

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