Common chaffinch

Description

The common chaffinch can reach a body length of 14 to 18 cm and weights between 18 and 25 grams. Regardless of sex, common chaffinches have a conspicuous white shoulder patch, a white wing band and white outer tail feathers. Otherwise, there is a striking sexual dimorphism.

In males, the underparts and the sides of the head are brownish pink to reddish brown. The top of the head, the nape of the neck and the sides of the neck are a striking greyish-blue in summer and more brownish-grey in winter. The forehead is black, the back is chestnut brown and the rump is greenish. The male's beak is steel blue in spring, otherwise horn-coloured. Females are olive grey on the upperparts and slightly lighter on the underparts. The female's beak is light brown to horn-coloured all year round.

Newly hatched common chaffinches initially have pale smoky grey down on the upperparts of the body, wings, thighs and belly. The skin is flesh pink. The throat is deep pink, the beak bulges are white or cream-coloured to yellowish. Juveniles resemble adult females, but their head and body feathers are slightly shorter and softer, and the tail feathers are narrower and more pointed.

The common chaffinch is widespread in Europe and North Africa, but also in Western Asia, where it lives mainly in forests, but also in parks and large gardens up to about 1500 metres above sea level. It is one of the most common songbird species in Europe.

The habitat of the common chaffinch is forests, thickets, hedges, gardens and large orchards.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buchfink). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 16 November 2021