Carduelis carduelis -- (Linnaeus, 1758) ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- PASSERIFORMES -- FRINGILLIDAE Common names: European Goldfinch; Goldfinch European Red List Assessment European Red List Status LC -- Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1) Assessment Information Year published: 2015 Date assessed: 2015-03-31 Assessor(s): BirdLife International Reviewer(s): Symes, A. Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L. Assessment Rationale European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC) EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

At both European and EU27 scales this species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations).

For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern within both and the EU27. Occurrence Countries/Territories of Occurrence Native: Albania; Andorra; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Faroe Islands (to DK); Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland, Rep. of; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Canary Is. (to ES); Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Gibraltar (to UK) Population The European population is estimated at 27,800,000-42,700,000 pairs, which equates to 55,700,000-85,500,000 mature individuals. The population in the EU27 is estimated at 23,500,000-32,500,000 pairs, which equates to 47,000,000-65,100,000 mature individuals. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Trend In Europe and the EU27 the population size is estimated to be stable. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Habitats and Ecology This species inhabits open or sparse deciduous woodland and mixed deciduous and conifer woods, forest edges, thickets, heaths, hedgerows, streams, riverine and marshy areas with bushes and trees, roadside verges, steppe grasslands with scattered trees to edges of semi-desert areas, scrub, orchards, edges of cultivation and parks and gardens. Breeding occurs from April to early August. The nest is a compact small cup of grasses, moss, plant fibres and down, cobwebs, hair and , a few aromatic flowers on outside, placed up to 10 m from the ground, concealed beneath foliage. Clutches are four to six eggs. It feeds mostly on seeds (ripe and unripe), buds, flowers and the fruits of plants but also takes arthropods (Clement 2010). The species is partially migratory, wintering almost entirely within its breeding range and some Mediterranean populations may be sedentary (Snow and Perrins 1998). Habitats & Altitude Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land suitable non-breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland suitable non-breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Plantations suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Plantations suitable non-breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Rural Gardens suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Rural Gardens suitable non-breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Urban Areas suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Urban Areas suitable non-breeding Forest - Temperate suitable breeding Forest - Temperate suitable non-breeding Grassland - Temperate suitable breeding Grassland - Temperate suitable non-breeding Shrubland - Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation suitable breeding Shrubland - Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation suitable non-breeding Shrubland - Temperate suitable breeding Shrubland - Temperate suitable non-breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable non-breeding Altitude max. 2400 m Occasional altitudinal limits Threats The species is caught over most of its range and is popular as a cage (Hagemeijer and Blair 1997). Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Biological resource Hunting & trapping Timing Scope Severity Impact use terrestrial Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact (intentional use - species is the target) Stresses Reduced reproductive success Conservation Conservation Actions Underway Bern Convention Appendix II. The decline of commercial bird catching may have been responsible for population increases in Britain, Ireland and Belgium since 1950 (Hagemeijer and Blair 1997).

Conservation Actions Proposed No conservation measures are currently needed for this species. Bibliography Clement, P. 2010. European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. and de Juana, E. (eds.) 2014. Handbook of the of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/61359 on 24 March 2015). Hagemeijer, W.J.M. and Blair, M.J. 1997. The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: Their Distribution and Abundance. T & A D Poyser, London. Snow, D.W. and Perrins, C.M. 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic vol. 2: . Oxford University Press, Oxford. Map (see overleaf)