Gil ptak ciekawostki — Tukan Media

Bullfinch

It is a relatively easy-to-recognize bird, slightly larger than a sparrow. It is distinguished by its specific coloring: in males, the underside of the body is pinkish-red, while in females, it tends to be shades of brown. Bullfinches have a greyish upper body, a black tail, and wings marked with a white stripe. The rump is also white. A noticeable breast, large head, and short, conical-shaped beak are also characteristic features. When you see a bullfinch, you will surely know that it's this bird – it's difficult to mistake it for others.

Do bullfinches migrate for the winter and... what do bullfinches eat in winter?

These are partially migratory birds – in Poland, those from northern and eastern Europe winter here, while individuals living in warmer climates do not migrate. They are found throughout the lowland areas of our country, and they choose habitats like spruce and fir forests, woodlands, and dense thickets. Their diet consists of plant seeds and buds, mainly from trees and shrubs, fruit seeds, and in spring, they also consume invertebrates to feed their chicks. During winter, you can often spot them at bird feeders.

They build their nests from dry twigs, roots, and grass – usually among the dense branches of spruce trees. They lay up to five bluish eggs speckled with brown, which are incubated for about 2 weeks. The young leave the nest after around 16 days.

Bullfinch - interesting facts about this colorful bird

Although known and easily recognizable, the bullfinch holds a few secrets - here they are:

at the beginning of the 21st century, a significant decline in the population of these birds was observed. Numerous studies were conducted, which showed that the reason for this was the use of pesticides to combat forest insects. It turned out that the killed insects were a significant part of the diet of young bullfinches, which couldn't survive without food,
bullfinches belong to the finch family - this name refers to the way they shell seeds from husks,
bullfinches are protected birds in Poland - they are under strict species protection,
bullfinches are domesticated birds that - due to their delicate nature and susceptibility to diseases - require professional knowledge to breed them,
in Scandinavia, the image of this bird is strongly associated with Christmas. You can find a Bullfinch on almost every Christmas card.

Listen to the voice

Gadgets with bullfinch illustration

If you're enchanted by the vivid coloring of the Bullfinch and want it to decorate your interiors, you'll find various products with the image of this bird in my collection: