Monday 12 October 2009

Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Fringilla ("finch") coelebs ("unmarried")
Top Left: Adult Male Chaffinch (subspecies F. c. gengleriat Geddington, Northants - August 2013
Top Right: Adult Male Chaffinch (subspecies F. c. balearicaat Monfrague National Park, Spain - April 2016
Bottom: Adult Female Chaffinch (subspecies F. c. gengleriat Geddington, Northants - September 2013

Featured Subspecies: Fringilla coelebs gengleri and Fringilla coelebs balearica
Weight: 18-29g  /  Length: 14.5cm  /  Wingspan: 24.5-28.5cm
UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

By far the most common member of the finch family in the UK, The Chaffinch is very widely spread and very easily seen both in urban and rural settings. It is a very common bird-table species and comes readily to feeders. In some cafes I've been to it is bold enough to come and take crumbs off of plates when you sit outside. It can also sometimes be found in reasonably large flocks on fields, particularly during the Winter when it may associate with other seed eating birds.  In Spain it is less common than in the UK, but seemingly still widely spread.

Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Fringilla
Subspecies: F. c. coelebs, F. c. gengleri, F. c. balearica, F. c. sarda, F. c. schiebeli, F. c. syriaca, F. c. solomkoi, F. c. alexandrovi, F. c. transcaspica, F. c. africana, F. c. spodiogenys, F. c. moreletti, F. c. maderensis, F. c. canariensis, F. c. ombriosa, F. c. palmae     

 - Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - Abundant breeding species (6,200,000 territories)
 - Birds seen at many locations regularly, including but not limited to Geddington, Rutland WaterPitsford Reservoir, Rainham Marshes, Regent's Park and Padstow. In Winter often particularly abundant with large flocks of hundreds on farmland.
SPAIN - Spanish - Pinzón Vulgar ("Common Finch")
 Breeding resident.  
 - SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: Seen at El Rocio (feeding with sparrows)      
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen at Monfrague National Park (one singing male)      

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red ListRSPBWikipedia, Xeno-canto

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