Where do goldfinches nest?
Goldfinch · Carduelis carduelis
Goldfinches nest in trees and tall shrubs, often quite high up and out towards the end of a branch, in gardens, orchards, parks and street trees. The nest is a small, neat cup of moss, roots and grass lined with soft plant down. They nest from April to August and often raise two broods, sometimes three.
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- Where
- Trees and tall shrubs, often near the tip of an outer branch
- Nest
- A small, neat cup lined with plant down
- When
- April to August, first eggs usually late May
- Eggs
- Usually 4 or 5, kept warm by the female for about 12 to 14 days
- Broods
- Two, sometimes three
- Fledging
- About two weeks after hatching
- Nest box
- None: they build out in the open
Where goldfinches nest
Up in a tree or a tall shrub. The BTO says nests can be as high as 15 metres, and they are often right out near the end of a branch where it forks, rather than close to the trunk. Garden trees, fruit trees, street trees and tall hedges all get used, and several pairs often nest fairly close together.
A nest out at the end of a branch sways about in the wind, and from below, among the leaves, it is very hard to see. You are much more likely to hear goldfinches nesting nearby than to find the nest.
What a goldfinch’s nest looks like
Small and beautifully made. It is a compact cup of fine roots, moss, grass, wool and plant fibres, finished on the inside with soft plant down, which is what makes it look so neat. The female does the building.
When goldfinches nest
Later than most garden birds. The first eggs are usually laid in late May, and with two or three broods a year a pair can still have chicks in the nest in August. There are usually four or five eggs, which hatch after about 12 to 14 days, and the young leave about two weeks after that.
Goldfinches feed their chicks a mix of insects and seeds they bring back up, with more seed as the summer goes on, and high summer is when seeds are most plentiful.
How to help goldfinches nest in your garden
They will not use a nest box, but they are one of the easiest birds to help, and their numbers have gone up a lot in recent decades as more people feed them:
- Let some plants go to seed. Teasels, thistles, knapweed and dandelions are goldfinch food. A patch left uncut is better than any feeder.
- Put out sunflower hearts and nyjer seed. Both bring goldfinches to feeders.
- Plant trees and tall shrubs, which give them somewhere to nest.
- Check before late cutting. Goldfinches nest late, so look carefully before you trim a hedge or shrub even in August, and leave it if there is a nest.
Checked against: RSPB: Goldfinch, BTO BirdFacts: Goldfinch. Last checked 8 November 2026.
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Questions
When do goldfinches nest?
From April to August. They start later than most garden birds, with first eggs usually in late May, and often raise two or three broods.
Do goldfinches use nest boxes?
No. They build an open cup in a tree or tall shrub.
How high do goldfinches nest?
Often quite high, up to around 15 metres, and usually out towards the end of a branch.
What do goldfinches feed their babies?
A mix of insects and seeds, brought back up for them, with more seed in later broods. Nesting late suits a bird that needs plenty of seeds.
