Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) is one of the most common species in our country, and we have certainly all seen it. It is a sparrow-sized bird, only somewhat slimmer, and its tail longer than that of the house sparrow. In full length it measures between 14 and 16 cm.
It is recognizable by the distinctive double white wing bars on the wings, which in winter become somewhat yellowed, by the white edges of the tail, and by the greenish-gray crown; features that we can see best in flight. The male has rusty red breast and cheeks in the warmer part of the year, and a gray-blue mantle and the top of the head. The gray on the head and crown is replaced by brown with the arrival of autumn, and by winter the vivid red of the nuptial plumage fades as well; the brown back also dulls into muddy tones. The female and young are less colorful, but with a similar pattern.
The chaffinch is a resident of forests, hedgerows, also urban parks and gardens. The male in spring with a loud song announces his territory from a branch on a tree and proudly displays his nuptial plumage; two rivals can be seen as they clash in the air, and the fight continues on the ground until one of them gives up. The female then spins a neat nest among the branches and conceals it with lichens and moss. They nest in April and May.
This is a diurnal bird that feeds mainly on seeds it searches for on the ground. In summer it also supplements its diet with some insect or other invertebrate. In our region it stays year-round, so in winters with a snow cover it is a common guest in gardens with a bird feeder.
