- Bullfinch: Wanted Poster
- How to recognize the bullfinch
- Support the bullfinch in the garden: How it works
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When does the bullfinch breed, also known as bullfinch or bloodfinch? How can the bird be identified? And what does the young bullfinch look like? You can find this and other information as well as bullfinch pictures in our large profile.
The bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) is a very conspicuous songbird which, due to its colorful plumage, is also called a bullfinch - derived from the red robes worn by church canons - or bloodfinch. As the last name suggests, the bullfinch belongs to the finch family and is therefore related to our well-known chaffinches and greenfinches. Because of its bright colors, the bullfinch has long been caught and kept in cages. And even today there are breeders who trade in the animals, even though catching wild birds in the wild is of course forbidden. More exciting facts and pictures of the bullfinch can be found here in our detailed species portrait.
Bullfinch: Wanted Poster
| Size | About 15 - 18 cm |
| Weight | About 25g |
| Incubation | May - June |
| Lifetime | Up to 8 years |
| Habitat | Forests, parks and gardens |
| Food Preference | Seeds and Buds |
| Threats | Declining food and habitat |
How to recognize the bullfinch
The bullfinch is one of the most conspicuous songbirds of all. It has a compact, almost round shape, which has given it the name “Bullfinch” in English. Its back and shoulders are a light blue-grey, fading into black wing tips and tail tips. The bullfinch's head is also adorned with a black cap, which stretches over the eyes and the short, strong beak.
What is the difference between male and female bullfinches?
The distinction between male and female bullfinches is very easy compared to other songbird species. Because while the males have their typical orange-redThe female bullfinches have a rather inconspicuous olive-grey underside.
What does the bullfinch song sound like?
For such a powerfully built bird, the bullfinch has a rather soft song. This consists of a mixture of whistling tones, melancholy calls and occasional stifled, high-pitched tones. The singing of the bullfinch can often only be heard at close range and often even goes unnoticed.
You can listen to the Gimpel singing in the following audio recording:
What habitat does the bullfinch prefer?
Gimples prefer to live in dense coniferous or mixed forests. But they also do well in city parks and gardens, as long as there is enough undergrowth and one or two conifers.
Where does the bullfinch build its nest?
The bullfinch usually builds its nest in a coniferous tree or a bushy shrub. The nest is placed only a few meters above the ground and is very well hidden in the dense vegetation. It is erected on branches as a kind of platform made of fine brushwood.
What do bullfinch eggs look like?
Gimpel females lay between four and six bluish to greenish eggs covered with dark spots. The eggs are laid on the nest platform in a bed of moss, fine straw and feathers.
When is the bullfinch breeding season?
The breeding season of bullfinches lasts from May to June. After laying the eggs, the female incubates the clutch for about 14 days and is provided with food by her male during this time. After hatching, the young bullfinches are born naked and blind and are completely dependent on the care of their parents for the first few days. After about three weeks they are finally fully grown and leave the nest. But even after this point, they still stick to their parents for some time and are supported by them in the search for food.
How do you recognize a baby bullfinch?
Young bullfinches are not yet as colorful as their parents. Even the male young birds are - similar to their mothers - inconspicuously colored olive-brown. In addition, the young bullfinches still lack the black headgear of the adult animals. However, the young bloodfinches can already be recognized by their stocky build, the shape of their beak and the dark tips of their tails and wings.
Where does the bullfinch spend the winter?
Bullfinches are mainly resident birds. They can be found in their breeding grounds all year round. In the late spring, smaller family groups are often out and about together, roaming the countryside in search of food. Occasionally, however, female and young bullfinches migrate south and do not return to their breeding grounds until spring.
Support the bullfinch in the garden: How it works
The colorful bullfinches can also feel at home in your garden. Supporting measures such as a feeding station or suitable nesting aids make it easier for garden birds to settle there. At the same time, they represent a great opportunity for bird watching. Find out below what demands the bullfinch places on a potential home and how you can design your garden in a way that is suitable for bullfinches.
What do bullfinches eat?
The food of bullfinches consists mainly of plant seeds, buds and fruit pits. However, during the breeding season they also eat animal food, preying on high-protein caterpillars, snails and insects, which they then feed to their young.
With a feeding station in the garden, you can make it easier for the colorful songbirds to find food every day. For example, our Plantura all-season feed with beak-friendly components and an extra load of protein and feed lime for the breeding season is suitable for year-round feeding.
Which nesting aids are suitable for bullfinches?
As free breeders, bullfinches will not accept closed nest boxes. These are more suitable for cave-nesting species such as great spotted woodpecker or coal tit. On the other hand, you can create suitable nesting sites for bullfinches with dense shrubs, hedges or conifers. Always be careful not to thin out the plants too much, as the birds prefer wild, bushy vegetation where they can hide their nests from predators.
How can you support the bullfinch?
During the breeding season, bullfinches need animal food in addition to plant food to raise their young. However, in our increasingly monotonous landscape, insects and other small animals are on the decline. With a lively, buzzing garden you can counteract this development and support numerous other garden birds in addition to the bullfinch. Insect friendly flowers, native plants andfor example, avoiding chemical sprays is a good start to add a little more life and wildness to your garden.
Of course, other wild birds also benefit from a bird-friendly garden. One of them, like the bullfinch, has long been kept as a cage bird is the serin. Get to know this garden bird a little better in our detailed profile.