A small, delicate, boldly patterned finch, gregarious and easily seen except when nesting secretively in the foliage of leafy trees.

Despite becoming a garden bird in places, and even learning to feed from hanging feeders, the Goldfinch is essentially restricted to places with plentiful seeds on tall herbs. It does not like ‘clean’ farmland with no weeds; it revels in untidiness and rough, overgrown places.