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
GREAT TIT
Here is my photo of the week , the humble Great tit , enjoying a bath in the paddling pool at the Meadow Hide.
IT’S ALL SO QUIET
Today I’m flying solo at the hide. The much needed trim to the path is now complete , paddling pool water topped up , so that’s todays duties done and dusted. It’s quiet here today , both in the number of feathers and paws visiting the hide , but also noise created by humans. The […]
FRIDAY AT THE HIDE
Friday at the hide , 13th may 2022 A bonus day at the hide today , and i’m not here alone , today my co-pilot is none other than The Wiltshire Birdman , Mr Graham Stewart. It’s been over a week since my last visit to the hide , an boy has the meadow grown […]
Wildonline.blog 
I have always thought it interesting that in the bird world, the male is the most colorful. I wonder if that is for protecting the female and her young. Beautiful shots.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hank you , interesting thought. I’m not sure on the answer
LikeLiked by 2 people