Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

Male Chaffinch - Barnes

I particularly like this bird as it is one of the most colorful of the common species that you’ll see all over the countryside and in London parks. There are millions of breeding pairs in Britain whose numbers are swelled each year by winter migration. Usually the British based birds stay with in a few miles of their nest and are quite territorial but the migrating Chaffinches have been recorded traveling over 1000 miles to reach their winter destination. They eat a mixture of seed and insects but the former makes up the entirety of their diet outside the breeding season. They are one of the hardiest of our small birds and may live for 12 years or more.  Cats and traffic are their main nemesis.  Females, are as usual are a little duller in colour, less pink breasted.