The goldfinch is a widespread and common seed-eating bird in Europe, North Africa, and western and central Asia.[9] As a colourful species with a pleasant twittering song, and an associated belief that it brought health and good fortune,[10] it had been domesticated for at least 2,000 years.[11] Pliny recorded that it could be taught to do tricks,[11] and in the 17th century, it became fashionable to train goldfinches to draw water from a bowl with a miniature bucket on a chain.