Chaffinch
The chaffinch, also known as the Eurasian or common chaffinch, is a small bird belonging to the Fringillidae family and is widespread across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Males are easily identified by their distinctive pink breast and chestnut back, while females exhibit more subdued light brown plumage. Both sexes have a wingspan of approximately 5.5 to 6.3 inches and weigh just under an ounce. Chaffinches often gather in large flocks, especially outside of the breeding season, but during mating season from April to June, males become territorial and sing to defend their areas.
Females are responsible for building nests, which are typically located in dense vegetation and can take up to 18 days to construct. They lay four to five eggs, which are incubated for about 12 to 13 days. After hatching, the chicks rely on their mother for food and protection until they are ready to leave the nest. Young chaffinches learn to sing by imitating adult males, creating unique local dialects that help them establish territories and attract mates. Their diet primarily consists of seeds, fruits, and insects, but they must remain vigilant against various predators. With an average lifespan of three years in the wild, chaffinches can live significantly longer in captivity.
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Chaffinch
The chaffinch is one of three species in the Fringilline subfamily, or group, of finches. It is also called the Eurasian or common chaffinch. This bird is common throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. The male is easily recognized by his pink breast. The female is known for the time and energy she gives to building her nest.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Fringilla
Species: Coelebs
Male chaffinches have chestnut backs, green rumps, pink breasts and bellies, and blue-gray necks and crowns on their heads. Their wings are black with white bars. Females have light brown plumage, or feathering, with cream-colored underparts. Both males and females have wingspan lengths of 5 1/2 to 6 1/3 inches (14 to 16 centimeters) and weigh just under 1 ounce (24 grams).
For a little more than half of the year, chaffinches roost and feed in large flocks that include sparrows and other finches like the bramblings. In February, the male chaffinches become territorial. They sing and chase other males to keep them from the areas they have claimed. They remain territorial during mating season from April through June.
After a female enters a male's territory and the two mate, she finds a nest site in a dense hedge, bush, or small tree. She spends 18 days building a cup-shaped nest by herself and may make up to 1,300 trips to collect nesting materials. These materials include grass, moss, lichen, and roots, which she weaves together and then wraps in cobwebs. The lining is made of soft feathers and cradles four to five eggs. The female's body heat keeps the eggs warm. This is called incubation, and it lasts for 12 to 13 days for chaffinch eggs. The chicks hatch from their red-blotched, off-white shells and receive insects from their mother. After 13 to 16 days, the young birds are ready to fledge, or to fly for the first time. The mother continues to care for the young and protect them for a period after they leave the nest. The young are old enough to mate at one year of age. If enough food is available, the male and female may raise a second brood, or batch, in the same season.
Young chaffinches learn the chaffinch song by listening to and imitating other chaffinches. The chaffinches in a particular area may learn a "dialect," or version of the song which is slightly different from that of other chaffinches. The birds' fathers and other males in the area teach the young the dialect. This song is important for claiming their territories and mating when they are older. Chaffinches that have not lived in the wild still sing naturally, but do not sing the same way wild chaffinches do.
Chaffinches mainly forage for seeds but also eat apples, berries, buds, blossoms, and insects. During their feeding hours, chaffinches must be on guard against birds of prey, such as owls and hawks. Their nestlings, or young in the nest, are prey for cats, stoats (weasels), jays, and magpies.
The average life span for chaffinches is 3 years, but in captivity, some have lived 15 years.
Bibliography
"Chaffinch." British Trust for Ornithology, www.bto.org/understanding-birds/birdfacts/chaffinch. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.
"Common Chaffinch Cuide." Discover Wildlife, www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/facts-about-chaffinch. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.