Birds · Passeriformes · Fringillidae

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

A robust finch that recalls a sparrow but is emerald green, with a large head and a broad, strong bill. It shows very visible yellow patches on the shoulder, the flight feathers and the sides of the tail. The female is noticeably duller.

Weight

25 g – 30 g

Size

14 cm – 16 cm

Lifespan

3 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Estimated population

Between 41.5 and 64.4 million mature individuals in Europe. The Spanish census counted 6,293,125 greenfinches between 2014 and 2018, with Castile and León, Andalusia and Castile-La Mancha accounting for around 51 %

Temperate forestHerbivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Temperate forest

46countries 261parks13same family

Fun facts

GeneralIts song ends in a very characteristic nasal wheeze; it opens hard seeds with its conical bill.
As it is not especially territorial, it builds its nests very close together and will form small breeding colonies.
When the chicks leave the nest, the male takes charge while the female is already starting the next clutch.
It colonised the Canaries in the late 1960s, starting with Tenerife and Gran Canaria, and is today on every island except Lanzarote.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Open woodland, copses, parks and gardens
Size at birth: The chicks leave the nest between 13 and 18 days; the male goes on caring for them while the female tends the second clutch, and there may even be a third
Gestation / incubation: 11-15 days, by the female alone, fed by the male
Litter / clutch size: 4-6 eggs as a rule, with extremes of 3 to 8; two or three clutches a year between March and August

Sources consulted: SEO/BirdLife (ficha y III Atlas de las aves en época de reproducción en España); IUCN Red List; Asturnatura; Cano-Barbacil y Cano 2022, III Atlas; estudio de 14 temporadas en los naranjales de Sagunto (Ardeola)