European Greenfinch

How to recognise it

• Mainly green, yellow in wings and tail, clear yellow edge on the folded wing
• Heavy, pale horn-coloured finch bill on a fairly compact body
• Adult male is grey-green above with a yellow-green rump and blackish wing and tail feathers
• Female is duller and more grey-brown, with brown tones on the back and faint streaking

Call and song

The call is a short, strong "jypp", usually repeated in quick series. The song has lots of trills and twittering mixed with wheezing sounds. One creaking song sound is like winding up a wristwatch or pocket watch.

Where and when

The European Greenfinch is a partial migrant that breeds in Sweden, from Skåne to the Sundsvall area and Jämtland and on up the Norrland coast. The northernmost populations move south, but smaller numbers stay all year even in northern Sweden. In southern Sweden it winters as a wandering bird. It is reported from all 21 counties, most in December to February. Since 2025 it has been red-listed as Vulnerable (VU).

Food and behaviour

The European Greenfinch looks for food in trees and bushes and also on the ground. It eats mainly seeds, young buds and berries. Outside the breeding season it can form large flocks, sometimes with other finches and sparrows. The male performs a fluttering song flight like a butterfly's. The cup-shaped nest is placed in trees, bushes or hedges, often in spruces and junipers.