BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Goldfinch

GOLDFINCH
Carduelis carduelis

Conservation listings

Table 4/Amber (25-49% Population decline)
Biodiversity Steering Group Conservation Concern List

Long-term trend

UK: Fluctuating, with no long-term trend

Status summary

Goldfinch abundance fell sharply from the mid-1970s until the mid-1980s, but the decline was both preceded and followed by significant population increases. These population changes can be explained almost entirely by changes in annual survival rates, which may have resulted from a reduction in the availability of weed seeds due to agricultural intensification. Alternatively, the effects of environmental change or increased hunting pressure in the Franco-Iberian wintering grounds of the migrant majority of the population may have reduced survival rates (Siriwardena et al. 1999). No clear trends have occurred in breeding performance over this period.

Table of population changes for Goldfinch

Source Period
(yrs) Years Plots
(n) Change
(%) Lower
limit Upper
limit Alert Comment

CBC all habitats 31 1968-1999 96 18 -8 51

25 1974-1999 99 -13 -30 4

10 1989-1999 92 49 33 69

5 1994-1999 96 15 5 29

CBC farmland 31 1968-1999 60 32 2 79

25 1974-1999 61 -5 -21 15

10 1989-1999 66 62 39 85

5 1994-1999 69 20 3 33

CES adults 15 1984-1999 31 25 . .

10 1989-1999 38 -17 . .

5 1994-1999 43 -14 . .

CES juveniles 15 1984-1999 19 -27 . . [>25] Small sample

10 1989-1999 22 -1 . .

5 1994-1999 25 15 . .

BBS UK 6 1994-2000 1011 11 3 20

BBS England 6 1994-2000 844 0 -7 8

BBS Scotland 6 1994-2000 58 39 -3 99

BBS Wales 6 1994-2000 85 71 32 122

The Breeding Bird Survey is jointly funded by BTO, JNCC and RSPB

Table of productivity information for Goldfinch

Variable Period
(yrs) Years Mean
annual
sample Trend Predicted
in first year Predicted
in last year Change Comment

Clutch size 31 1968-1999 19 None Small sample

Brood size 31 1968-1999 33 None

Daily failure rate (eggs) 31 1968-1999 33 None

Daily failure rate (chicks) 31 1968-1999 27 None Small sample

Laying date 31 1968-1999 21 None Small sample

Percentage juveniles (CES) 15 1984-1999 36 Smoothed trend 99 productivity index 100 productivity index 1%

Percentage juveniles (CES) 10 1989-1999 43 Smoothed trend 75 productivity index 100 productivity index 34%

Percentage juveniles (CES) 5 1994-1999 49 Smoothed trend 66 productivity index 100 productivity index 51%

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This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Crick, H.Q.P., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Leech, D.I., Marchant, J.H.,
Noble, D.G., Raven, M.J., Simpkin, A.P., Thewlis, R.M. and Wernham, C.V. (2002) Breeding Birds in the Wider
Countryside: their conservation status 2001. BTO Research Report No. 278. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

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