From Opus

Fringilla montifringilla

Breeding male
Photo by Askar Isabekov
Alma-Ata Kazakhstan, April 2007

[edit] Identification

Male Breeding

• Black head, back and bill
• Orange breast and wing patch
• White belly
• Black and white wings
• White rump
  

Non-breeding

Winter male
Photo by Gerd Rossen
Germany

• Black upperparts are speckled and duller
• Yellow bill

Female: similar to winter male, but with a grey crown

[edit] Similar Species

Chaffinch: male has a grey head, nape and bill. Green rump.

[edit] Distribution

Breeds throughout Norway and in all but southernmost parts of Sweden and Finland, in Estonia and across northern Russia east to the Urals. An isolated population breeds in the Alps in northern Italy and has bred in Iceland, north-central Scotland, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.

A migratory species with autumn passage mainly in mid-September to October, sometimes November with most birds moving south or south-west through Europe. Widespread in winter throughout Europe south of breeding range occurring west to Iberia and south to the Mediterranean, Turkey and the Middle East. Return passage takes place in March-mid May.

Female
Photo by Raydes
Blaasveld, Belgium, February 2004

Vagrants recorded in Iceland and Faroes and has bred in both, also recorded in the Canaries, Madeira, Cyprus and North Africa, Jordan and Iraq.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Breeds in open coniferous forest, birch woodland and riverine willows and winters along woodland edges close to open farmland and especially stubble fields. In some areas large numbers gather in autumn and winter in beechwoods to feed on beechmast, also fond of hornbeam seeds.

[edit] Behaviour

In winter usually found in large mixed flocks with other finches.

[edit] Breeding

Photo by jtwood
Scottish highlands 2012

The female builds the cup shaped nest, in a conifer tree, from moss, grass and hair, lined with feathers and wool, decorated with bark and lichen. The clutch consists of 4-9 eggs which are smooth, glossy, greenish to brownish with dark brown markings. Incubation (by the female) takes 11-12 days. The young are fed by both parents and fledge after 11-13 days.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes seeds and insects.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Wikipedia
3. British Garden Birds

• List of references

[edit] External Links