Chaffinch

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The male Chaffinch is a colourful gent.

This finch, as big as a House Sparrow, can be found everywhere, as long as there are trees. On the list of most common birds in the Netherlands the Chaffinch is in fourth position with some 1.2 million species. So you will find a lot of them in our garden. They are very social birds and in winter they are often in small mixed groups in which you will also see Greenfinches, Bramblings, Tree Sparrows and Great Tits. The bird is very colourful, but as usual this goes for the male only. Females are just a kind of brownish: greenish brown on top and greyish brown below, however the wing resembles that of the male.

On the left a very young male Chaffinch. The one on the right is almost adult. His cap however will become more grey-blue over time.

Chaffinches are great singers. In the middle ages they were caught in considerable number, mainly by bird-limers, put in cages and sold in the by then rapidly growing cities. And in order to make their song even more beautiful the eyes of the little birds were taken out...

This bird belongs to the family of Finches (Fringillidae). It is common in our garden and can be seen in Holland all year round. The bird is 6" and weighs 20 grams. It lives in woodlands, parks and gardens mostly. It eats seeds and insects. Compared to the male, the female has a brownish, greyish belly and white on the wings. During the breeding, which stretches from April till July, usually two nests are constructed in trees or shrubs. The three to six eggs hatch after 13 days and it takes the hatchlings another 13 days to be able to leave the nest.

Name of this bird in various other languages
Dutch	German	French	Polish	Scientific
Vink	Buchfink	Pinson des arbres	Zieba	Fringilla coelebs