Birds
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis · Sticlete
A colourful finch with a red face and golden wing bars, often feeding on thistles.
At a glance
- Status in Romania
- Resident
- Habitat
- Meadow / Urban
- Activity
- Morning · Daytime
- Diet
- Mainly plant food — buds, flowers, fruit — and in the cold season mostly seeds.
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)
- Photography difficulty
- Easy to observe
Photography Guide
Practical starting points based on the species’ behaviour and habitat, not fixed rules.
- Where and how to look
- Thistle and teasel patches in late summer and autumn.
- Best time / activity
- Morning · Daytime
- Behaviour to anticipate
- Birds clinging to seed heads — a clean background makes the frame.
- Photography difficulty
- Easy to observe
- Ethics
- Keep away from nests, do not use playback in the breeding season, and let the bird decide how close it comes.
Identification
Red face, black-and-white head, buff body and broad yellow bars on black wings.
Habitat
A wide range of habitats with trees or shrubs: open woodland, parks, orchards, gardens, tree lines and riverside woods.
Approximate range in Romania
Diet
Mainly plant food — buds, flowers, fruit — and in the cold season mostly seeds.
Behaviour
Gathers in small flocks on seeding weeds in autumn and winter.
Seasonality in Romania
Breeds in Romania and is generally resident, making large movements in severe winters, sometimes south in large numbers.
- JanPresent
- FebPresent
- MarPresent
- AprPresent
- MayPresent
- JunPresent
- JulPresent
- AugPresent
- SepPresent
- OctPresent
- NovPresent
- DecPresent
Source-verified months inform the seasonal filters. Local timing can vary. Unconfirmed months do not imply absence. * Event timing retained from the earlier entry, not yet source-verified.
Breeding
Breeding begins in April; usually 4–6 eggs incubated by the female for 9–12 days.