The Life Of The Bachelor Finch

Enjoyable to watch or listen to, the chaffinch is a bird of great variety and one that’s full of surprises. BILL NAYLOR reports

- Bill Naylor

ALTHOUGH not as common as it used to be, the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) is still found over the entire area of Britain and is the most numerous seedeater in Europe. The UK population is residents apart from some migrants from Sweden, Finland, and Norway, which appear on the UK’s east coast in October.

The male chaffinch is just as colorful as many exotic finches and, although it maintains similar plumage all the year-round, it looks its best in spring when abrasion has worn away the buffish fringe to the feathers acquired during the autumn molt. This subdues the color of the plumage during autumn and winter. The pink bill it has had during those months now turns blue.

Both males and the more sombre female are instantly recognizable with their white wing bars and outer tail feathers which flash when the birds take flight, especially when they rise from the ground. A feature not easily identifiable in the field is the green rump of both sexes, which is often a surprise to people handling chaffinches for the first time. This easily distinguishes it from the white rump of its close relative, the winter visiting brambling. (Chaffinch x brambling hybrids have been produced in captivity.)

There is an abundance of old country names for the chaffinch, whose name originates from its habit of searching stubble fields for chaff (seeds among the seed hulls) or frequenting farmyard areas where there were heaps of chaff from threshing machines. In winter, flocks of mainly male chaffinches would converge in farm areas. This behavior is the origin of its Latin name celebs, meaning bachelor. Chaffey was once a common name and is still used among British birdkeepers. The nickname Chink or Pink relates to its contact call; blue cap, pied finch and white wing refer to its plumage. Pea bird is explained by its liking for the garden vegetable.