BULLFINCH
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Length 16 cm
Wingspan 28cm
Weight 35 g
Population 400,000
One of the larger finches’s the bullfinch has a rounder more compact body , with a black face and head , bright pink underparts and a black tail. The female differs from the male and has a buff – grey underpart. The young juveniles have a brown face and head.
The Bullfinch can be found across the whole of the UK , anywhere that suits it’s preference for mixed woodland , parks and coniferous forest habitats. The bird is a shy creature , with reports showing only around 10% of Uk gardens have the bullfinch as a regular visitor. The birds are highly sedentary with most seldon moving more than a few miles from their nest during their lives.
Bullfinches mate and for a bond as pairs. They breed from May to June and normally lay a brood of between 4 to 6 eggs in a nest made from twigs , moss and lined with small roots. Chicks fledge at around 15 to 17 days. Most Bullfinches will have two broods a year. The average lifespan is around two years.
Bullfinches usually feed on insects, berries, seeds and buds – its liking for the latter has made enemies of some gardeners and fruit growers. Bullfinches have a special sac at the foot of their mouth that can be used to store food.
Conservation status
Bullfinch numbers have declined by nearly 40% since the 1960’s partly due to habitat loss. Classified as Amber in the UK under birds of conservation concern , as with most wildlife in the UK the Bullfinch is protected under the wildlife and countryside act 1981.
©️ Wildonline 2021
Also at Wildonline.blog
THE HIDE – WOODPECKERS
The Hide , Thursday 30th March 2023 Another full day here at the Meadow Hide and just for a change , it’s raining. In the U.K. we sometimes call heavy rain “ cats and dogs “ I have no idea why but that’s the weather for today , it’s raining cats and dogs and it…
THE HIDE – BUSY
The Hide , Monday 27th March 2023 A very busy day here at the hide with lots of coming and going, mainly centred around the pool and feeders. Once again the Great Spotted Woodpeckers proved to be rather elusive, evading all attempts to have their photo taken , and taking great interest in one of…
Nature at the Golf Club
THE STATE OF NATURE AT JOHN O’ GAUNT GOLF CLUB by Stephen Thompson Golf courses have had a reputation in the past and to some extent still do of being a place that is no good for wildlife, barren desserts, and just a load of grass but that is most definitely not the case. When…
Wildonline.blog 