Winter bird feeder camera guest – bullfinch

Female bullfinch

 

Bullfinch

 

Bullfinches are about the same weight and size as greenfinches. An estimate of their winter number is up to a quarter of a million birds.

 

For the third day the female bullfinch is at the birdfeeder at eight o’clock in the morning. She eats alone, placidly, for a quarter of an hour without letting the chatter of the great tits disturb her. At about half past eight the domestic pigeons arrive and then the passerines have no more business at the bird feeder. Nearby are fat balls as well as unsalted lard, there they while away time. The afternoon is again passerine time, until darkness falls.

 

An adult bullfinch has a black cap and a broad white bar on the black wings; the rump area is white. Only the cheeks, breast and throat of the male are red, the female’s cheeks and breast are pinkish brown; the back plumage is patterned in grey, the male a little darker.

 

Note – the head of young birds is not black.

 

Quite often the male is on guard at the bird feeder so that the female can eat undisturbed. Favourites are sunflower seeds. We see the seed eaters on lilac bushes, maple or ash trees. Bullfinches do not eat lardi.