Bird of the Week KW47 - The Chaffinch

The chaffinch is a true songbird and belongs to the finch family.

This little songbird can be found almost everywhere in Europe, except for the very cold northern European regions such as Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, which are too cold for it. This makes it one of the most widespread breeding birds in all of Europe.

Body measurements:

The chaffinch reaches a body length of 14 to 18 cm and weighs between 18 and 25 grams when fully grown.

Look:

The appearance of male chaffinches differs significantly from that of females. In male chaffinches, the underside of the body and the sides of the head are brownish-pink to reddish-brown. The crown, nape, and sides of the neck are a striking gray-blue in the summer months and more brownish-gray in the winter months. The forehead is black, the back is chestnut brown, and the rump (the upper back part) is greenish. The male's beak is steel-blue in spring, and horn-colored otherwise.

Females, on the other hand, have an olive-gray upper body and a slightly lighter underbody. The beak is light brown to horn-colored year-round.

Nutrition:

Chaffinches feed primarily on berries and seeds of all kinds. Insects are also naturally on the menu. Young birds are fed primarily with insects and larvae, as these are richer in energy and protein.

Brood:

The breeding season for chaffinches takes place between the end of March and June. Depending on location and climate, one to two broods are produced annually. Breeding occurs primarily in open deciduous and mixed forests. Since the chaffinch is anything but shy, hedges, parks, and gardens naturally also become breeding grounds.

Nest building is exclusively a female activity in chaffinches. Once the approximately four to six nestlings have hatched, they spend another two weeks nesting before they begin to venture out and explore outside the nest. For the next month, the parents continue to care for their young. After that, the young birds can fend for themselves.

Life expectancy:

The oldest chaffinch ever discovered was a whopping 14 years old, wow! But chaffinches usually only reach an average age of 5 years.

Danger:

As mentioned in the previous article, "Bird of the Week Week 46 - The Blackbird," chaffinches are not an endangered species. Along with the blackbird, they are the most widespread songbird in Europe.

Tip for feeding in winter:

As their name suggests, chaffinches love beechnuts. But other seeds, especially oatmeal, chopped peanuts, and sunflowers, also make these little garden birds happy.

Why not try our energy mix or sunflower seeds ?

We hope you enjoyed our article about the chaffinch.

Did we miss something? Where do you regularly encounter this pretty songbird?

Write it to us in the comments 😊