The chaffinch is a finch and one of the most common and widespread birds of Europe; males are easy to spot by their blue-gray cap and rusty-pink breast. It does not live in the U.S.; it is a rare stray to eastern North America, and some sightings may be escaped cage birds. Outside Europe, it breeds east into Siberia and has been introduced to New Zealand.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About 5.7–6.3 in (14.5–16 cm) long. Males have a blue-gray crown and nape and rusty underparts; females are a plain gray-brown. Both show two white wing bars and white outer tail feathers, which flash in flight.
- Voice
- A loud, cheerful song, often heard before the bird is seen. Songs vary by region, and young birds must hear adults during a key period to learn them properly.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Woodlands
- Farmland
- Parks and gardens
- Range
- Breeds across Europe east into Siberia, plus parts of the Middle East. Introduced to New Zealand and a small area of Cape Town, South Africa. In the U.S., it is only a very rare stray in the Northeast (for example, a few records from Massachusetts), and some sightings may be escaped cage birds.
- Seasonal presence
- Northern birds migrate south for winter; southern birds mostly stay put.
Behavior
- Diet
- Mostly seeds picked from the ground; in the breeding season it eats insects, especially caterpillars, and feeds them to its young.
Life cycle
- Nest
- The female builds a neat cup nest in a tree or bush.
- Clutch size
- 4–5 eggs
- Incubation
- 10–16 days
- Fledging
- 11–18 days
- Lifespan
- Typically about 3 years; one bird in Switzerland lived more than 15 years.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Chaffinches of North Africa and the Atlantic islands (Canaries, Madeira, Azores) were once lumped in this species but are now treated as separate species. Several subspecies remain, including the British Chaffinch (F. c. gengleri).
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
- Status
- Since 2005, outbreaks of the parasitic disease trichomonosis have killed chaffinches in Britain and spread to northern Europe, though chaffinch numbers overall have not dropped significantly.
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- The English name means "chaff finch," probably because the birds pick through threshed chaff for grain. The species name coelebs is Latin for "unmarried."
- In Belgium, the traditional sport of vinkenzetting pits caged males against each other to see which sings the most.
More species to explore
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