Chaffinch

The chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) is the commonest finch in the British Isles, and is the second commonest of all breeding birds in the UK.


Distribution

The chaffinch is widespread throughout Europe and into north Africa, the Middle East and western Asia. It has adapted very well to human habitation and is regularly seen in parks and gardens as well as woodlands and open countryside.


Appearance

The chaffinch measures around 15 centimetres (6 inches) in length. It has a thick, pointed bill and a shallow fork to the tail. The male birds are notable for their grey-blue head and nape, red-brown back, pinkish-red cheeks and breast and olive-green rump. Their winter plumage is less highly coloured. Female chaffinches lack the colouring of the males, being yellow-brown above and brown-grey below.

The wings are marked with white on the shoulders and there is a prominent white stripe on the tail edges.


Behaviour and song

The flight is undulating, with the wings being closed every few beats. On the ground, chaffinches hop or walk with jerks of the head.

Adult chaffinches feed mainly on seeds. However, as garden birds they are more likely to feed from the ground than from bird feeders. In winter they are often seen in open fields, flocking with other seed-eaters such as bramblings and yellowhammers.

The chaffinch has a sharp, metallic “pink-pink” call, or “chip” in flight. The song is a chattering phrase that varies between locations. It has been likened to a fast bowler at cricket running up to the wicket and bowling, as it builds to a climax and suddenly releases. A recording of the song can be heard on this page of the RSPB website, which includes a video and other information about the chaffinch.


Breeding

Male and female chaffinches spend winter apart. The males arrive at the breeding territory in February or March, with the females arriving several weeks later. The females choose the nest site, usually a tree fork, and do most of the nest building with only a little help from the males.

The nest is a compact construction of moss, lichen and spiders’ webs, sometimes camouflaged with pieces of bark taken from the tree in which the nest has been built.

The clutch can be anything from three to six eggs, with five being typical. The hen chaffinch incubates the eggs alone for up to 14 days, but both partners feed the chicks, bringing them insects and spiders for about two weeks and also for a short time after they have fledged. If the brood is raised in April or May a second brood may be raised in June or July.

© John Welford