From Opus

Photo by Mike Pennington.
Photo taken: Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Alternative name: Teydefinch

Fringilla teydea

[edit] Identification

Breeding male - blue plumage and grey bill. Female - dark grey-brown female, weak wing bars.

[edit] Distribution

Found almost exclusively in the Pinus canariensis forests of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. On Tenerife the population is probably over 1000 pairs and is stable or even increasing due to reforestation. On Gran Canaria, where deforestation was much more drastic, the population is lower and there may only be 185 individual birds, restricted to the Ojeda, Inagua, Pajonales and maybe Tamadaba pine forests.

[edit] Taxonomy

There are 2 subspecies:

• F. t. teydea on Tenerife
• F. t. polatzeki on Gran Canaria

[edit] Habitat

It has colonised non-native pine forests on Tenerife and is even found in mixed pine and laurel forests. Outside the breeding season small flocks are wide-ranging with sightings recorded from upland scrub, chestnut forest and even orchards.

[edit] Behaviour

During the breeding season pairs establish and defend territories, generally much smaller on Tenerife than Gran Canaria. Feeding occurs mostly on the ground, often in the company of Common Chaffinches and African Blue Tits.

The blue chaffinch feeds mostly on pine seeds but also takes other seeds and forest fruits and even figs. Insects such as beetles and butterflies are also taken but make up only a small proportion of the diet.

The breeding season begins late with the first clutch laid in late April, May or early June. The nest is placed on a side branch high up in pine trees although occasionally other trees are used. The clutch, of which two per season have been reported, is of two greenish-blue eggs with brownish of purplish markings.

[edit] Vocalisation

While mostly silent, the call is a double chirp and the song a double trill sounding something like Tschin-tin-tiui Vi-vi-vi-vi-vi.

[edit] External Links