Species guide
European Greenfinch: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Martin Kunz · CC BY · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Chloris chloris
- Family
- Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Size
- About 15–16 cm
- Habitat
- Gardens, hedges and woodland edges
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America and Oceania
The key marks
Stocky and olive-green with bright yellow patches on the wing and tail, and a thick pale bill.
Voice
A wheezy “dzweee” and twittering trills.
Good to know
It cracks big seeds like sunflower with its strong bill, but disease has cut its numbers in some areas.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in gardens, hedges and woodland edges. It is especially common in Norway. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.