The finch is a songbird of the passerine order, the finch family. The bird's size is similar to that of a sparrow.

The distribution range of the species is Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. Finches are one of the most numerous birds living in our country. They live in forests, but are also found in city parks and gardens in close proximity to human habitation.

In order to survive cold winter, birds migrate to the forests of the foothills of the Caucasus and the Mediterranean.

Appearance of a finch

Birds of this species are small, not exceeding 15 cm in length. Weight can be from 20 to 40 grams. The wingspan ranges from 24 to 28 cm.

In adult males, the feathers on the head and neck are gray-blue in color, and there is a black mark on the frontal part. The upper part of the body is light brown with a greenish tint. The breast is red-brown, the wings are dark in color with white spots. The rump has a gray tint. The lower part of the bird's body is light brick color. In normal times the beak is gray, but during the mating season it becomes bluish.

Males are brighter colored than females, indicating sexual dimorphism. Females have a pale brown back, the lower part of the body and breast are grayish-brown. During the entire time the beak has grey colour. Chick finches are colored the same as females, but duller. All chicks have a light spot on the back of their heads.

Finch behavior and nutrition

The finch feeds on both plant and animal foods. It eats weed seeds and harmful insects, protecting vegetable gardens and orchards from pests, which benefits people. For the most part, the bird feeds on the ground. The finch picks up seeds, nibbles sprouts, and eats beetles and caterpillars.

Listen to the voice of the finch

People keep the finch in captivity and put it in cages for its excellent vocal abilities. However, this bird does not become completely tame and does not begin to sing immediately, but after quite a long period of getting used to it. But the life expectancy of a bird at home increases many times.

The population in Europe is 100 million pairs of birds. There are also many finches in Asia, although their exact numbers are not known.

Reproduction and lifespan

Finches arrive at nesting sites at the very beginning of April. Males try to attract females. When a pair is created, the female begins to look for a place for a nest. In most cases, the nest is located in the branches of a tree at a height of 2 to 5 meters above the ground. The male brings material for the nest, and the female does the construction. The place for masonry is a bowl woven from thin twigs and twigs and insulated with grass, moss, hairs and cobwebs. Outside, the female covers the nest with plant fluff, pieces of bark, birch bark and lichen, which makes it completely invisible from the outside.

A finch's nest usually contains 4-6 eggs that are bluish-green or reddish-green in color. The embryos develop within 12-14 days. The chicks that are born are dressed in gray fluff and are fed by both parents. At first, the chicks feed on insects and then move on to seeds. At 3 weeks of life they begin to fly. After this, the female can lay eggs a second time. The last brood begins to fly in August.

The finch is a very attractive looking songbird. It belongs to the finch family, which includes many species of birds. They live in Europe and Asia. They can be found even in northern Africa.

general description

The name of the bird was given by the people. That's what it's called almost everywhere. The female is sometimes called a chaffinch. In some areas the bird is also called Yurok or Chugunok.

The adult bird is small in size, like all passerines. The body length of the bird can reach a little more than 14 cm. Their wingspan is on average 25-28 cm. The weight of the bird is from 20 to 40 g.

1. They have an elongated and sharp beak.
2. Tail with a pronounced notch.
3. Their plumage is dense and quite soft. The color is bright.
4. In males, the head and neck are bluish with a gray tint. Their forehead is painted black. The plumage on the back is brownish. In the lumbar region it is yellow-green.
5. It is interesting that during the mating season, the male’s beak becomes bluish, and in the remaining months it is brownish-pink.
6. The flight wings of birds are colored brown. The lower part of the body is colored pale brown.
7. Females are gray-brown below and brown above. Young finches have virtually no sexual differences. The plumage changes only with age.

Lifestyle

They fly away in the fall to spend the winter in warmer areas. This also does not happen at the same time. The flight lasts from the very beginning of autumn to the middle. They fly away, gathering in relatively numerous flocks. They number up to several hundred birds. During the migration, flocks of finches sometimes stop to rest and find food for themselves. At this time they can be seen in the North Caucasus.

There are many subspecies of finches. They differ in size, color, beak length, as well as various behavioral features.

These birds have a short lifespan. Individuals who live in wildlife, can live only a few years. This is due to the fact that in modern conditions they are affected by many unfavorable factors. In captivity, they are able to live much longer. Cases have been recorded when finches lived 10-12 years. But for this, the bird needs to be looked after. Although this type distinguished by its unpretentiousness.

Habitat

This species lives throughout Europe, as well as in the western regions of Asia. On the African continent they live only in the northwestern regions. They can be seen in some regions of Norway and Sweden. They also live in the British Isles.

A lot of these birds live throughout almost the entire territory of the CIS. Some birds fly to the Caspian Sea for the winter. At that time they can be seen here on the northeast coast. They also fly to Iceland and even to the Faroe Islands.

Representatives of this species live in a variety of areas. It is very important for these small birds that there is some kind of woody vegetation where they live.

Very often they live in cultivated tree zones. For example, in gardens, groves, boulevards and parks. These birds can often be seen on the edges of the forest. They live in both deciduous and coniferous forests. They prefer sparsely forested areas, as well as island ones, which are located in the middle of the steppe.

These birds are one of the most numerous among the species that live in Russia. They can often be seen in city parks. They often settle very close to humans.

Nutrition

The diet of these birds consists mainly of various insects. Studies have been conducted to study the nutrition of finches. Scientists have come to the conclusion that they feed not only on insects, but also on weed seeds, fruits, and berries.

But from April until autumn, animal food still predominates in their diet. Most often they eat small beetles and are very fond of weevils. Therefore, representatives of this species of birds bring many benefits to humans. After all, they destroy many harmful insects that are pests of agriculture and forestry.

Enemies in nature

Representatives of the species are quite unpretentious birds to their living conditions. They can live in the most different conditions and are distinguished by their endurance. But their numbers today are influenced by various factors. These are the climatic conditions of the area in which they live. In addition, during the nesting season, these birds and their nests are often attacked by other birds and animals. Sometimes a woodpecker attacks the nest. But most often the nests are destroyed by other birds - jays, crows, tawny owls. Among mammals, their enemies are stoats and squirrels.

Reproduction and nesting

These birds fly from their wintering grounds in flocks, which consist of representatives of the same sex. Males arrive at nesting sites a little earlier. When the breeding season begins, males emit peculiar calls. These sounds are somewhat reminiscent of the squeaking of chicks. They alternate with singing.

During the mating period, males, as a rule, fly from place to place, often sing, and also constantly fight with each other. True mating, which is characteristic of many other species of birds, is completely absent in finches. Mating occurs on the ground or on powerful branches.

These birds begin to build a nest only a month after arrival. In many areas where climatic conditions allow, these birds can lay eggs more than once per season.

The nest is built by the female. But the male also plays a significant role in this. After all, he finds and brings her all the material. These birds build their nest from various thin twigs, as well as roots and stems of plants. When built, it looks like a ball with the top cut off. Finches tend to camouflage their nest so that it is as little visible as possible to enemies. After all, as already mentioned, it is often attacked by birds of prey and mammals. To make it as inconspicuous as possible on the tree, finches cover the outer surface with moss and birch bark.

The eggs of these birds are usually green with a bluish or reddish tint. They are covered with rather large spots of a pinkish tint. One clutch usually contains from 4 to 7 eggs. Only the female does the incubation. The chicks appear quite quickly. This usually happens after about 2 weeks.

Both mother and father bring food to the chicks. They find various invertebrates for them. The chicks eat caterpillars, spiders and the larvae of some insects. Caring for offspring also does not last long. Parents feed their chicks for about 2 weeks. After this they begin to live independently. And the female begins to prepare for the next clutch. To do this, she builds a new nest.

Status and population

The territories that are suitable for nesting of this bird are becoming fewer and fewer. This leads to the fact that their distribution does not increase, but decreases. In some areas the species simply disappears.

But, despite these difficulties, the number of the species is very large. In Europe alone there are about 100 million pairs of finches. In addition, a lot of them also live in Asia. Although finches are a numerous species, their habitats still need to be protected. After all, this small bird brings a lot of benefits to humans by destroying pests.

Video: Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

View: Finch (Fringilla coelebs)
Family: Finches
Squad: Passeriformes
Class: Birds
Type: Chordata
Subtype: Vertebrates
Dimensions:
body length 14 - 18 cm, weight - 15 - 40 g;
Lifespan: in nature – 2 years, in captivity up to 12 years

The finch is one of the most common forest birds in Russia. At the beginning of April, one can already hear his cheerful songs, which sound reminiscent of singing

Interesting! A blue or green finch feather can become a talisman for you; in the old days, such feathers were considered a talisman of the hearth and family happiness.

Habitat

The finch is a bird whose photos are sometimes mesmerizing, often found in forests and forest-steppes, city squares, even near human habitation. The chaffinch is known in Russia, Crimea, Kazakhstan, and Africa. Its main habitats are forests of European, Asian and American countries. It is there that birds fly away in September-October for the winter, gathering in small flocks and moving from place to place.

Characteristic

Appearance

Finch is not a bird large sizes, a little less sparrow. It is easy to recognize by its motley elegant plumage. The finch has a gray-brown back, green rump, black wings with white stripes, a burgundy breast, and a gray or bluish head. After the summer molt, the color of the plumage becomes more brown. And closer to spring it turns bright pink, by which time the bird’s “clothes” have time to wear out. In females, gray-green colors predominate in color. Males can boast brighter plumage.

Interesting! There are about 450 in the world various types finches.

Key Features

• the male is a food provider, feeds the female, and also protects her from attacks by enemies, as well as from possible rivals;
• the female spends about 20 days building and arranging the nest and incubating the eggs;
• The finch is easily recognized by the white stripes on its wings;
• The finch's life expectancy is short; these birds often die due to their carelessness. While singing, they throw back their heads and forget about the dangers that lie in wait.

finch song

The chaffinch's singing is melodious, beautiful and cheerful. It is often confused with the trill of a nightingale. A typical chaffinch song is a rolling trill ending with a flourish. A flourish is a loud, short sound. Whistled, higher and thinner notes precede the trill. Thus, the song of the finch is divided into the following points:

• chorus;
• trill;
• stroke.

This entire cycle takes 3 seconds, and the pause lasts 7-10 seconds. By the end of July, the chaffinch's song is heard less frequently. Since the bird sings beautifully, it is often kept in captivity.

Nutrition

The finch feeds on insects and plants. Loves to eat weed and conifer seeds, fruits, berries, leaf buds, bugs, caterpillars, ants and beetles. IN summer time Animal food predominates in the diet of finches. By the way, they help cope with agricultural pests – weevils. A strong, powerful beak, as well as an uneven palate and strong facial muscles allow the finch to master the hardest food. It will not be difficult for a bird to break an eggshell or the chitinous shell of a beetle.

Interesting! Finches are the only ones from the finch family that feed their chicks exclusively with insects.

Nesting and breeding

Finches are among the first to return to their native lands when the snow begins to melt. First, the males arrive and acquire a nesting site, choosing sunny pine forests or spruce forests for it. Birds are not picky when choosing a place for a future nest, but they try to avoid dense thickets. Often they can fly to the same place and tree where they had to settle down last year. They jealously guard their home, not allowing foreign birds into it. A little later the females arrive. Mating time begins. The female builds the nest, and the male brings her the materials necessary for this.

The nest is a tall structure, resembling a deep bowl with strong walls. Finches use moss and lichens, fluff, wool, tree branches, birch bark and even cobwebs as building materials! The web gives special strength to the structure. It is usually located on a branch or fork of a tree at a height of up to four meters.

Interesting! During the construction of a nest, the female finch descends to the ground for the necessary material about 1,500 times, then rises with it to the nest.

In this nest, the female lays 4 - 6 bluish eggs measuring 20x15 millimeters and incubates them for 15 - 18 days. The death of birds can be caused by approaching the nest of an enemy, for example, a person. In this case, the finches leave their place.

The body of newborn chicks is covered with light down, which protects them from frost. Only the hatched chicks are helpless; their life is completely dependent on their parents. Both parents bring insects and other food in their beaks for their chicks.

If you want to look at the most beautiful and unusual beaks of birds, we recommend that you read the article

Already in June, the chicks are ready for their first flight. At this time, they are still very poor at flying and can become a victim of attack by predators. People often mistake finch fledglings for birds in need of urgent care and take them into their home. However, due to improper maintenance, the chicks quickly die. In fact, the chicks were simply waiting for their parents. Therefore, it is better to pass by the bird without touching it.

The finch is not the most suitable bird to keep at home. They do not become tame, but in captivity they can live for about 10 years. This is surprising, because in nature their life expectancy is much shorter and is approximately 2 - 3 years. They are often sold to live in cages and delight their owners with their singing. In the beauty of singing, finches are not inferior even to canaries. Males can perform about twenty different tunes. In the West, finch lovers hold special tournaments in which their birds compete in the art of singing and receive prizes for it.

Inexperienced hobbyists should not get a finch. At least in natural conditions This bird is unpretentious; keeping it at home can cause significant problems. This is due to the finch’s diet, as well as the creation of proper living conditions for the bird.

For home keeping, spacious outdoor enclosures are usually chosen. In them, the finches are calmer and quickly adapt to the new environment. During nesting, the male is transplanted into a cage. The future home can be equipped with comfortable shelves and perches, feeders and drinking bowls, as well as a bathhouse. It is recommended to plant green trees or shrubs inside.

They also put all the required material for building a nest: lichen, feathers, tree branches, grass, wool threads and more. A ready-made nest made of rope in the shape of a bowl is also placed there.

During nesting, the male's beak becomes bluish in color. By the shade of the beak you can judge whether the male is ready to breed. The nest is taken care of by the female finch, the photos will show her hard work. She then lays and incubates the eggs. At this time, the male is distinguished by especially loud songs.

After 20 days, the chicks will hatch. It is recommended to feed them butterfly caterpillars. The finch chick, a photo of which you will also find on the Internet, grows very quickly, gains weight and after two weeks becomes completely independent. Such birds can already be sold.

Interesting! If there are several males in the enclosure at once, this can end in a huge fight. Finches are extremely pugnacious.

If there is only one bird, then the most ordinary large metal cage will be suitable for keeping it. At first, it is covered with cloth so that the bird does not hit the bars.

During the migration of migratory birds, a finch placed in a cage shows great anxiety. This can be prevented by placing an electric light bulb near the cage.

You can see what a finch looks like, the photos and videos are very interesting.

Spring is coming, which means they will return migratory birds and be one of the first to return

Chaffinch and Interesting Facts about him

Spring is coming, which means migratory birds will return and finches will be among the first to return. These are the birds I would like to talk about today.

A little biology

The finch (lat. Fringilla coélebs) is a songbird of the finch family.
The number in Europe is 79-94 million pairs. The finch is one of the animals with a wide range of adaptability, a synanthropic species.
The main condition for the settlement of finches is the presence of woody vegetation. Cultural tree landscapes (gardens, parks, boulevards, cemeteries), light oak forests, birch, willow and pine groves, edges of coniferous and deciduous forests, floodplain sparse forests, island-type forests in the steppe zone. As a rule, it avoids vast damp and dark forests, settling only on their edges.
The finch is the size of a sparrow, the body length is about 14.5 cm. The wingspan is 24.5-28.5. The weight of the finch is 15-40 grams.

When moving on the ground, they either jump with quick and easy leaps, or walk, moving both legs in succession. The finch's flight is relatively fast and undulating; flocks are usually not crowded.
Lives in Europe, northwestern Africa, western Asia. IN southern parts The finch's range is a sedentary, nomadic and wintering bird; in the middle and northern regions it is a nesting and migratory bird. In the central regions of the USSR, it is a breeding and migratory bird, as well as a rarely wintering bird; at the southern borders of its distribution, it is partially nesting and migratory, partially sedentary, wintering and nomadic bird. The spring arrival of finches in the northern regions occurs in the second half of April, in the central parts of the country - from the second half of March until the beginning of April, and, finally, in the southern regions - from the end of February, from the first days of March. The autumn flight of finches to their wintering grounds is greatly extended in time. Starting in the central regions in early September, it continues until mid-October. Finches fly both in flocks of no more than 40-50 birds, and in huge flocks of several hundred individuals each. During migration, flocks often linger for feeding in suitable places and spend there, as, for example, in the North Caucasus, for several days.
The finches' diet consists of insects and plants; they can also eat weed and conifer seeds, fruits, berries, leaf buds, ants, caterpillars and beetles. The finch's strong and powerful beak can cope with the hardest food.

Sexual dimorphism is quite pronounced, primarily in color. The male has a brownish chest, throat and cheeks, a gray-brown back with a greenish rump, and dark brown wings and tail. There is a bright white stripe on the wings, a black forehead, a bluish beak, with a cone shape typical of finches. The female is distinguished by a general brown-gray tone (brown-gray chest and pale brownish back) without a sharp change in colors on the head (the whole head is brownish-brown). The chicks are the same, but with a light spot on the back of the head.

Finches are often polygamous - having fertilized one female, the male can mate with another. Although females take a greater part in caring for the chicks, males also participate in feeding (even if the chicks are the offspring of another male), guard the territory, and warn of the presence of a predator
The clutch consists of 4-7 eggs, colored pale bluish-green or reddish-green with pinkish-purple spots. Egg dimensions: (17-23) x (13-15) mm.
The finch's nest is a dense deep cup, woven mainly from dry blades of grass, thin twigs and moss. Socket diameter 90-105 mm, socket height 50-80 mm, tray diameter 50-70 mm, tray depth 30-50 mm. The outside walls of the nest are lined with lichens, birch bark, pieces of bark and lumps of plant fluff. The lining of finches' nests is varied: in some nests pieces of lichen predominate, in others - birch bark, in others - there may be equal amounts of both. Plant fluff is also present to varying degrees, but it is always less than birch bark and lichens. All building material is firmly held together by spider web threads, due to which the walls acquire greater density. The litter in the nest is made of feathers, wool, and sometimes from the golden threads of the stalks of cuckoo flax. The lining perfectly camouflages the nest, and it is not easy to spot it against the background of tree bark or among pine needles.

Incubation continues for 12-14 days. The chicks that are born are dressed in gray fluff and are fed by both parents. At first, the chicks feed on insects and then move on to seeds. At 3 weeks of life they begin to fly. After this, the female can lay eggs a second time. The last brood begins to fly in August.
In the wild, the finch lives on average 2 years; in captivity, the life expectancy is up to 12 years.

Interesting Facts

1. There is a Russian superstition that says that the lark sings for warmth, and the finch for frost.
2. Chaffinch. The Russian “finch” is closely related to “chill”, “chilly” - with words meaning cold, cold: this bird is one of the first to arrive, in the very early spring. And the Latin “finch” - “fringilla”, “frigilla” - is also closely related to “frigor” - “cold”, “fringere” - “to freeze”. Again, two languages ​​create a word using the same technique, although each from its own “material”.
3. When flying, there is a quiet chirp and a short “kink”.
4. In wet weather, finches are said to “squeak,” that is, they make a squeak, similar to the squeak of a lost chicken.
5. From wintering grounds, finches fly to nesting sites in “same-sex” flocks - males are usually several days earlier than females.

6. The finch is the most common bird in European forests. Male chaffinches are one of the most brightly colored birds in Europe. They are easily recognized by their greyish-blue crown, tan chest, chestnut back and bottle green tail base. Female finches are not as bright. Their body is covered with brownish feathers and they have white wings and tails.
7. During the construction of a nest, the female finch flies down about 1300 times for building materials and returns to the nest with it.
8. Finches are prone to obesity, eye disease and blindness.
9. As a rule, birds return to last year's nests. The size of the couple’s “possession” is about 100 square meters. m.

10. A blue finch feather can become a talisman: in the old days, such feathers were considered a talisman of family happiness.
11. It is interesting that in England in the last century there were even competitions for finches - which of them could sing their song the most in an hour. The chaffinch's song is called "fight".
12. When feeding a finch, you must adhere to the rule - the more varied the diet, the better for the bird. Both cultivated grain plants and wild crops are used as feed equally. IN summer period It is necessary to introduce various insects into the poultry diet.
13. Finches have great difficulty getting used to the cage, almost never becoming completely tame. Even a finch sitting in a cage for a long time will certainly begin to thrash and thrash when a person approaches it, often breaking its wings, beak and forehead in the process.
14. Not all finches sing their clear and joyful, although rather monotonous, songs in their cages in full voice, and often mutter them under their breath, so that it is difficult to make them out.
15. Typically, the specific song of a finch is represented by a trill ending with a “stroke” (short sharp sound) at the end. The trills are preceded by initial, more subtle whistle sounds. Therefore, the song of a finch can be divided into three successive parts - a chorus, a trill, a flourish. This song structure is characteristic of all adult males (the female finch is usually not vocal). The entire song usually lasts about 2-3 seconds, after a pause (7-10 seconds) the song repeats again.

https://youtu.be/eB-nxSXGong

In contact with

Almost every resident of Russia is familiar with a bird the size of a sparrow - the finch. Unlike its urban counterpart, the finch can be easily spotted by its bright color. The males are especially different here: they have a bright red chest and greenish-brown back, and a blue head. Females look less remarkable; they are duller in color. In nature, their life cycle does not last more than two years, but in captivity finches live up to 12 years.

Bird habitat

Finch nests can be found throughout our country. In addition, finches can be found in North Africa, Asia and Europe. Truly unique creations. Despite their small size, they easily fly long distances. Most often, birds settle in forest areas, but you can meet them in urban areas. With global urbanization, some began to settle next to people and benefit from this proximity. Therefore, noticeable birds can be seen in an ordinary park and garden.

Brief description of the appearance of the finch

It is worth looking carefully at the appearance of the birds. If you have seen a photo of a finch bird, you will think that he not much different from a sparrow. This is partly true. Males:

1. small size;
2. with a sharp gray beak;
3. on the head there is a cap of bluish plumage with a grayish tint;
4. There is a small rusty stain on the breast. The back is brick shade. Fun fact: The color of the beak changes with the seasons. In winter it is brown, and in warm weather it is blue.

Female chaffinches look paler compared to males. A calm color scheme is needed for hatching chicks. In this case, the female merges with the nest and it is difficult for predators to notice her. Therefore, their back is dark brown, but their breast is not much different. By

Since the finch belongs to the finch family, its diet consists of insects. This is especially noticeable during the mating season, that is, from May to July. In this segment finches only eat insects, since successful reproduction requires an abundance of protein food. By the way, small birds bring serious benefits agriculture. They eat dangerous pests - butterflies and dipterous beetles. In other words, those who actively harm human plantings.

In rare cases, poultry switches to products of plant origin. Seeds, fruits, berries. It is nutrition that poses the main difficulty in keeping birds in captivity. Since it is extremely difficult to provide them with constant access to insects.

Migratory season

Birds in September begin to fly to warmer climes. This is especially true for those flocks that live in central Russia. Some birds that live in the south of the country have adapted to wintering in place and have adapted to them. Many flocks simply fly to neighboring regions. They all return to their native lands.

Finch: will or captivity

It used to be fashionable to keep a finch at home. He became famous as a skilled singer along with the nightingale. It has been observed that birds live longer in captivity. Distinctive feature finch: long period of adaptation to a new place and lack of singing during this period. They very impressionable, so I can get scared and die. Therefore, they are not suitable for keeping in an apartment.

As a result of artificial selection, it was possible to breed the ornamental finch. But even they sang only in the presence of a person when he was completely motionless. As soon as the person moved, the bird began to frantically beat against the bars of the cage, causing injury to itself. Therefore, they were kept separately, covering the cage with a blanket. At night, waking up, the bird also began to beat against the cage. Due to its complex diet, the bird often gets obesity and eye problems.

Therefore, despite their beauty and singing abilities, such pets are not adapted to captivity.

In nature, finches breed in the warm season, making several clutches of eggs. Nests are made in May; incubation takes two months in total. Therefore, birds often manage to hatch two broods during a season. Males have been repeatedly observed to be polygamous, that is, to impregnate several females at the same time. There are up to eight eggs in a clutch. After about three weeks, the chicks leave the nests.

Bird nests are also noteworthy. They are small. Males cover them with lichen and moss to hide their family from birds of prey. Thanks to the coloring of the feathers, the females fit perfectly into the objects around her and this makes her invisible.

Distinctive features of the chicks:

1. Down instead of feathers;
2. A kind of cap on the head;
3. The first flight is attempted two weeks after hatching;
4. Both parents feed: insects. Most often by bugs or caterpillars;

As you can see, there are many interesting specimens among small birds. Even with its small size, such a pet can sink into your soul. But not all birds can be kept in captivity, no matter how much you would like to keep a singer in your apartment. That's why it is better to choose parrots or canaries, since they are accustomed to being kept at home.