Eurasian bullfinch
Eurasian bullfinch | |
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Male in Lancashire, UK | |
Female in Lancashire, UK | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Fringillidae |
Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
Genus: | Pyrrhula |
Species: | P. pyrrhula
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Binomial name | |
Pyrrhula pyrrhula | |
Range of P. pyrrhula Breeding Resident Non-breeding
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Synonyms | |
Loxia pyrrhula Linnaeus, 1758 |
The Eurasian bullfinch, common bullfinch or bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) is a small passerine bird in the finch family, Fringillidae. In Anglophone Europe it is known simply as the bullfinch, as it is the original bird to bear the name bullfinch.
Taxonomy and systematics
The Eurasian bullfinch was
Subspecies
Ten subspecies are recognised:[5]
- P. p. pileata MacGillivray, W, 1837 – British Isles
- P. p. pyrrhula (Linnaeus, 1758) – north, south central and east Europe across to central Siberia
- P. p. europaea Vieillot, 1816 – western Europe
- P. p. iberiae Voous, 1951 – southwest France, northern Iberian Peninsula
- P. p. rossikowi Derjugin & Bianchi, 1900 – northeast Turkey and the Caucasus
- P. p. cineracea Cabanis, 1872 (Baikal bullfinch) – west Siberia and northeast Kazakhstan to east Siberia and northeast China
- P. p. caspica Witherby, 1908 – Azerbaijan and north Iran
- P. p. cassinii Baird, SF, 1869 – east Siberia
- P. p. griseiventris Lafresnaye, 1841 – Kuril Islands and north Japan
- P. p. rosacea Seebohm, 1882 – Sakhalin (island north of Japan)
The Azores bullfinch (P. murina), previously regarded as a subspecies of the Eurasian bullfinch, is now recognised as a separate species.[8][5]
Description
The Eurasian bullfinch is a bulky bull-headed bird. The upper parts are grey; the flight feathers and short thick bill are black; as are the cap and face in adults (they are greyish-brown in juveniles), and the white rump and wing bars are striking in flight. The adult male has red underparts, but females and young birds have grey-buff underparts. It moults between July and October, but males do not have the duller autumn plumage that is typical of some other finches.[9] The song of this unobtrusive bird contains fluted whistles, and is often described as 'mournful'. This Bullfinch's usual call is a quiet, low, melancholy whistled “peeu” or “pew.” The song is audible only at close range. It is a weak, scratchy warbling, alternating with soft whistles. Tamed bullfinches can be taught to repeat specific melodies.[10]
Distribution and habitat
This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia. It is mainly resident, but many northern birds migrate further south in the winter. Mixed woodland with some conifers is favoured for breeding, including parkland and gardens.
Behaviour and ecology
This species does not form large flocks outside the breeding season, and is usually seen as a pair or family group.
Breeding
It builds its nest in a bush, (preferably more than four metres tall and wide), mature stands of scrub, or tree, laying four to seven pale blue eggs which are mottled with red-brown. It is peculiar among the
Food and feeding
The food is mainly seeds and
References
- . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Paynter, Raymond A. Jnr., ed. (1968). Check-list of birds of the world, Volume 14. Vol. 14. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 296.
- ^ Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturæ per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Volume 1 (in Latin). Vol. v.1 (10th ed.). Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii. pp. 171–172.
- ^ Brissons, M.J. (1760). Ornithologie, Volume 1. Vol. 1. Paris: Chez C.J.-B. Bauche. p. 36.
- ^ Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2021). "Finches, euphonias". IOC World Bird List Version 11.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ Gesner, Conrad (1555). Historiæ animalium liber III qui est de auium natura. Adiecti sunt ab initio indices alphabetici decem super nominibus auium in totidem linguis diuersis: & ante illos enumeratio auium eo ordiné quo in hoc volumine continentur (in Latin). Zurich: Froschauer. pp. 701–702.
- .
- ISBN 978-1-4729-0647-2.
- ^ Springer. "Songbirds turn on and tune up: Bullfinches have the brain power to learn to sing human melodies accurately". phys.org. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
- S2CID 85709337.
- ISSN 0022-2933.
- ISBN 978-1-905601-15-8
External links
- Audio recording from Xeno-canto
- Ageing and sexing by Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze
- Feathers of Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) Archived 2014-07-27 at the Wayback Machine
- Eurasian Bullfinches Pyrrhula pyrrhula and the ninebark fruits - video
- Bullfinches Pyrrhula pyrrhula - Less and less fruit means more and more work - video