How to Care for European Greenfinches

Green Finches in aviary. — Green Finch in flight.

Carduelis chloris

Written by the Birdsville team. Last updated October 2026.

European greenfinch care comes down to a quality canary seed mix with niger, rape seed and hulled oats, plenty of greens, egg and biscuit all year round, and a canary style cup nest for breeding. The European greenfinch, often written green finch, is a chunky olive green and yellow finch that’s easy to keep and suits cooler climates. They’re peaceful birds that mix well in a canary or finch aviary. This guide covers how to care for European greenfinches, from diet and breeding to housing and health, with a full shopping list of the supplies we recommend, delivered Australia-wide by Petsville.

European Greenfinch Quick Facts

Scientific name: Chloris chloris (formerly Carduelis chloris)
Also known as: Green Finch, Greenfinch
Native range: Europe, North Africa and western Asia, including Turkey
In Australia: introduced, established in cooler areas of southern NSW, Victoria and South Australia
Adult length: around 15 cm
Lifespan: commonly around 6 to 10 years
Diet: canary seed mix with niger, rape seed and hulled oats, plus greens and egg and biscuit
Housing: pairs, in a long cage or aviary
Breeding season: from around October
Clutch: around 4 to 6 cream eggs with reddish brown spots, incubated for about 14 days
Sexing: males are brighter, especially the yellow
Temperament: peaceful
Experience level: beginner

European Greenfinch Shopping List

Everything in this guide is available from Petsville, which delivers Australia-wide, or in-store at Birdsville in Sydney.

Live food and canary cup nests are available in-store at Birdsville.

European Greenfinches in the Wild and in Australia

As the name suggests, European greenfinches are common across western Europe, with a range stretching south into North Africa and east to Turkey. They were introduced to Australia, where they’ve adapted well to the cooler areas of southern NSW, Victoria and South Australia. They live in woodland and gardens.

Housing European Greenfinches

Greenfinches need a long cage or aviary with room to fly. Keep them in pairs, with perches of different thicknesses, a shallow bath, and separate dishes for seed, grit and water.

Seasonal tip: Greenfinches come from cool climates and handle cold winters better than most finches, but they can struggle in Sydney’s summer heat. Give them shade all day, good airflow and a bath, and add Vetafarm Spark Liquid (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-spark-liquid-50ml) to their water on very hot days.

European Greenfinch Diet

Greenfinches need a quality seed mix, sprouted seed, plenty of greens, egg and biscuit, grit, vitamins and fresh water every day.

Seed

A good quality seed is essential for the health and vitality of greenfinches. Feed part of the diet as a canary seed mix, such as Basic Canary Mix (https://petsville.com.au/products/avigrain-seed-canary-mix-2kg). Make up the other part with niger seed, rape seed (https://petsville.com.au/products/avigrain-seed-rape-canola-1kg) and hulled oats (https://petsville.com.au/products/avigrain-seed-hulled-oats-1kg).

Niger is very hard to get in Australia at the moment, so we’re not selling it on its own, but we blend it into Birdsville Blends Finch & Canary (https://petsville.com.au/products/birdsville-blends-finch-canary-500g), our biggest selling finch blend. Birdsville Blends are bagged fresh on site with a high turnover, so the seed never sits on a shelf, and buying from the people who mix it means better value. Avoid many supermarket and chain store mixes, which use low quality grains and filler seed that affect the health and vitality of your birds.

Sprouted Seed

An important part of the greenfinch diet. Rinse sprouted seed thoroughly with Vetafarm Aviclens (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-aviclens-water-cleanser-100ml) before feeding to remove bacteria.

Millet Sprays

French white or panicum millet sprays. Buy them on Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/products/millet-sprays-mixed-100g).

Greens

Greens are an important part of the greenfinch diet. Offer seeding grasses, endive, silverbeet, broccoli leaves, chickweed, dandelion and the flowering heads of milk thistle, to name a few.

Egg and Biscuit

A very important addition for greenfinches all year round, especially when breeding. Try Shep’s Egg & Biscuit (https://petsville.com.au/products/sheps-egg-biscuit-500g).

Live Food

Greenfinches only eat live food in the breeding season. Offer mealworms or fly pupae while they’re raising chicks. Live food is available in-store at Birdsville, and Vetafarm Insecta-Pro (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-insecta-pro-450g) is an easy alternative.

Vitamins

An important addition to keep your greenfinches in top condition. Add a vitamin supplement such as Vetafarm Multivet (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-multivet-50ml) to the water.

Grit

Use a fine grit mix of charcoal, crushed cuttlebone, shell, baked egg shell and limestone, such as shell grit (https://petsville.com.au/products/shell-grit-5kg), in its own dish.

Breeding European Greenfinches

The greenfinch breeding season starts in October. The hen builds a cup shaped nest, just like a canary’s, using coconut fibre, swamp grass and cotton wool (https://petsville.com.au/collections/bird-subsrate). Canary cup nests are available in-store at Birdsville.

She lays around 4 to 6 cream eggs with reddish brown spots, which hatch after about 14 days. The chicks usually leave the nest at about 2 weeks old, and the parents keep feeding them for another 2 or 3 weeks. A greenfinch hen can raise up to 3 broods in a season. During breeding, give extra egg and biscuit and live food. Vetafarm Breeding Aid (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-breeding-aid-100ml) on the seed also helps support fertility and chick growth.

Sexing European Greenfinches

Greenfinches aren’t the easiest to sex. The male is usually brighter in colour than the hen, especially the yellow, with a stronger yellow green body and bold yellow on the wings and tail. The hen is duller and browner. Comparing birds side by side, especially in the breeding season, makes the difference easier to see.

Health and Parasite Control

Watch for fluffed up feathers, sitting still and inactive, a dirty vent, or a thin chest where the keel bone sticks out. A sick bird can go downhill within hours. Move it to a small, warm cage straight away, add Spark Liquid to its water, and see an avian vet. For more on finch health, see our Finch Care page [Finch Care page link].

Worm your greenfinches every 3 months if they live outdoors, or every 6 months indoors, using Vetafarm Wormout Gel (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-wormout-gel-50ml). Spray birds, nests and the aviary with Avitrol Mite & Lice Spray (https://petsville.com.au/products/fidos-avitrol-bird-mite-and-lice-spray-125ml) every 3 months, avoiding the eyes. Keep new birds separate for 4 to 6 weeks before introducing them, and give them Spark Liquid in their water for the first few days after a move.

Cleaning

Daily: fresh water and seed in clean dishes, blow husks off the seed, and remove old greens and egg food.
Weekly: clean the cage or aviary thoroughly.
Monthly: disinfect with Vetafarm Avicare (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-avicare-rtu-500ml), clean or replace branches, and clean out nests after the young have left.

Compatibility with Other Birds

Greenfinches are generally peaceful and mix well with canaries, goldfinches and other similar sized finches. Males can squabble at breeding time, so give each pair space and its own nest sites. Greenfinches can also crossbreed with canaries, so plan your aviary carefully if you don’t want hybrids. For more on mixing birds, see our Mixing Different Species of Bird page (https://birdsville.net.au/pet-bird-advice-and-training/mixing-different-species-of-bird/).

European Greenfinch Frequently Asked Questions

What do European greenfinches eat?

A mix of canary seed with niger, rape seed and hulled oats, plus sprouted seed, millet sprays, plenty of greens, and egg and biscuit all year round. Birdsville Blends Finch & Canary already includes niger. Greenfinches only take live food in the breeding season. Always provide fine grit and fresh water.

How do you tell a male greenfinch from a female?

Greenfinches aren’t the easiest to sex. The male is usually brighter, with a stronger yellow green body and bold yellow on the wings and tail, while the hen is duller and browner. Comparing birds side by side, especially in the breeding season, makes the difference much easier to see.

Are greenfinches native to Australia?

No, European greenfinches are native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. They were introduced to Australia and have settled well in cooler areas, including southern NSW, Victoria and South Australia, where they live in woodland and gardens.

When do greenfinches breed?

Greenfinches breed in spring and summer in Australia, starting around October. The hen builds a canary style cup nest and lays around 4 to 6 cream eggs with reddish brown spots. She can raise up to 3 broods in a season if she’s well fed.

Can greenfinches live with canaries?

Yes, greenfinches are generally peaceful and mix well with canaries, goldfinches and other similar sized finches. Males can squabble at breeding time, so give each pair space and nest sites. Greenfinches can also crossbreed with canaries, so plan your aviary if you don’t want hybrids.

Do greenfinches cope with hot weather?

Greenfinches come from cool climates and can struggle in hot weather. Give them shade all day, a bath and good airflow in summer, and add Spark Liquid to their water on very hot days. They handle cold winters much better than most finches.

Greenfinch Supplies at Birdsville

Every product in this guide is available online from Petsville, delivered Australia-wide, or in-store at Birdsville, 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015, servicing the Eastern Suburbs and Inner South Sydney. Live food and canary cup nests are available in-store. If you’re after European greenfinches, call us on (02) 9669 1766 to check what’s in. Our team can also help you set up the right home and diet for your birds. Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BirdsvilleRosebery/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/petsvillesydney/) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@birdsvillepets) for live updates.

About Birdsville

Birdsville has been trading in Sydney since 1985, and we believe we’re now the oldest bricks and mortar bird shop still open in Australia. Owner Ash brings experience from vet clinics and from zoo keeping at the Rainforest Habitat in Port Douglas, now Wildlife Habitat. We’re a small business that does things in a big way. Nobody tells us how to run things, so we keep our products the best of the best.