Goldfinches feed on doft ripe or half ripe seeds and various tree seeds, such as alder and birch, and on thistle, teasel and dandelion seeds, which it can obtain owing to its thin bill and light weight. The golfinches will feed on seed feeders left in gardens especially on sunflower seeds, though they prefer sunflower hearts from the meadows.

Their long fine beaks allow them to extract otherwise inaccessible seeds from thistles and teasels. Surprisingly, it is only the males that are able to extract seeds from teasel heads. The male goldfinches cling to the stem and tear into it, accessing the seeds inside by probing with their extra-long bill.