European goldfinches have a typical lifespan of from 8 to 12 years, although the maximum recorded lifespan is 27 years, with a theoretical lifespan ranging from 19 years to 27 years and 1 month. The age at which the species reaches sexual maturity ranges from 9 months and 1 week to 1 year and 3 months. Development begins with the "Embryo" stage, during which the embryo develops inside an egg and does not feed itself; following this is the "Nestling" stage, where the young bird remains in the nest and is fed by its parents with partially digested seeds and insects for a period of from 2 weeks to 2 weeks and 4 days. The subsequent "Rapid Growth Juvenile" stage lasts from 1 to 10 months, during which the young bird learns to fly and finds food independently. The "Adult" stage, when the bird is capable of reproduction and raising offspring, lasts from 1 year to 8 years and 3 months.