Common Chaffinch Identification

The Common Chaffinch has a blue-grey cap and nape and pink-brown cheeks.

It has a short, conical, and robust beak.

The upper side of its body is reddish-brown.

The underside is light pink-brown.

It has two white wing bars.

The female has brownish colors without a grey cap or pink-brown cheeks.

The Common Chaffinch is the size of a sparrow.

The song of the Common Chaffinch is recognized by a series of descending notes ending with a sudden rise, the "chaffinch's song"!

It can be heard singing as early as February.

It also makes different types of calls, like "pink" "huit" "yup"... here, you can hear "yup".

They are timid and prefer to stay close to other birds to be able to flee in case of danger.

They often search for food on the ground with jerky movements.

Outside the breeding season, the Common Chaffinch can gather in large groups with other species.

They are often seen with Bramblings.

It produces 1 to 2 broods per year of 4 to 5 pale brown to pale blue eggs, speckled with brown.

It nests in trees and shrubs.

Its nest is a cup of moss, grass, and roots.

During the breeding season, it moves alone, in pairs, or in families.

With its robust beak, it eats seeds.

During the breeding season, it eats insects and larvae.

It catches insects in branches or in flight.

The chaffinch is quite widespread. It is found in all types of wooded areas, groves, parks, and gardens.

It is a sedentary species and sometimes a short-distance migrant.

Generally, it is the females that migrate in autumn to warmer areas.