The European Goldfinch is a specialist on the seeds of the daisy family (Asteraceae): - Favourites: thistles, burdocks, dandelions — the slender bill reaches in between the seed heads. - Winter: alder seeds, birch seeds, Niger seeds at the bird table. - Summer: insects (protein for the young).
The European Goldfinch readily clings to seed heads and picks out individual seeds with precision. The long, pointed bill is a specialised tool that lets the goldfinch reach seeds deep inside spiny thistles and burdocks that other finches cannot get at.