General

Eurasian Bullfinch: Small finch with gray back and white rump. Cap is black and cheeks, breast, and belly are red. Wings are black with single white bar. Tail is black and slightly notched. Female is gray-brown.

Range and Habitat

Eurasian Bullfinch: Casual to accidental on the Aleutian, St Lawrence, and Nunivak Islands in the spring. Casual to accidental to coastal Alaska in the fall and winter. Preferred habitats include gardens, parks, hedges, agricultural areas, and scrub with scattered trees.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"feww, feww"

Interesting Facts

 The Eurasian Bullfinch can inflict serious damage on orchards by feeding on the buds of fruit trees. This has been a serious problem, especially in south-east England, where orchards capable of yielding several tons of fruit have been stripped by bullfinches so efficiently that only a few pounds could be harvested.

 The sperm of the Eurasian Bullfinch differs markedly from that of all other passerines examined to date. In other passerines, the sperm head is pointed and helical, whereas in the Eurasian Bullfinch, the sperm head is rounded.

 Their population has declined substantially over much of Western Europe since about 1955, likely because of habitat loss through urbanization, deforestation, and the intensification of agricultural practices, including the loss of hedgerows.

 A group of bullfinches are collectively known as a "bellowing", "lowing", and "volery" of bullfinches.

Author

Gary Owen Dick