chaffinch

Bird Guide: Chaffinch

Do you think you’ve spotted this colourful bird in your garden? Take a look below at our Chaffinch bird guide – although you’re more likely to hear them before you see them! An interesting fact is that Chaffinches are the only Finches which feed their young only insects. Also, if you’re trying to attract them to your garden, scatter bird seed on the ground or on a feeding table: they don’t tend to feed from traditional hanging bird feeders.

 

 

chaffinch



To find out more about other birds, take a look at our interactive bird guide.

chaffinch


About

Male chaffinches have a striking a appearance and can be identified by their pinkish breast and underparts, blue crown, chestnut back and yellow tinted feathers. Females have more brown colouring and paler wings


Locations

Can be spotted in most areas across the UK


Habitat

Woodlands, farmlands and gardens


Diet

Insects and seeds

 

Breeding

Chaffinch breeding season is between April and July. They typically lay one, possibly two broods per year, containing 4-5 eggs. Eggs vary in colour and can be blue/green or red/brown



BTO Facts

 


According to Garden BirdWatch data, which has been collected since 1995, Chaffinches are most frequently seen in gardens in March, in around 78% of gardens. However, they have declined in gardens in recent years. Similar to Greenfinches, they have been affected by the disease Trichomonosis. However, it is not clear what has caused the steeper population decline that this species has suffered since 2012.

 

 


 

Food we recommend

 

peckish complete  

 

Nest boxes we recommend

 

Chaffinches, or any other member of the finch family for that matter, won’t use a bird box, preferring to build their own nest in the fork of a tree.