Page 383 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

FINCHES
Order Passeriformes Family Fringillidae Species Fringilla montifringilla
Brambling dark sides to pale panel
on back of head
orange-buff shoulder
pale orange breast
oval white “scaly” head (pale feather edges
centre on whitish or buff wear off in summer)
rump lower wingbar whiter
belly
broad orange-
buff upper yellow
MALE wingbar
(WINTER) bill FEMALE
(WINTER)
pale chin
IN FLIGHT dark and throat black
back head
bright yellow-
orange breast black
and shoulder back
dark spots
on flanks clean white belly
MALE
(WINTER)
MALE (SUMMER)

FLIGHT: quite quick and direct; undulating over
enerally less common and not nearly so long distance.
Gubiquitous as the Chaffinch, the Brambling can
nevertheless gather in gigantic flocks in winter,
especially in central Europe. In the west, their
numbers fluctuate from year to year with the food
supply, especially tree seeds such as beech-mast. Spring
males can often be seen in fine summer plumage in
their winter quarters before they migrate.
VOICE Flight call slightly harder than Chaffinch,
single tchek, distinctive nasal tsweek; song includes deep,
nasal, buzzing dzeeee note like Greenfinch.
NESTING Cup of lichen, bark, roots, and stems, lined
with hair and feathers; 5–7 eggs; 1 brood; May–June. VERY LARGE FLOCKS
FEEDING Eats insects in summer, seeds at other times; Bramblings may form huge flocks in winter. Millions have been noted in
often on ground feeding on beech-mast. central Europe but scores or hundreds are more usual in most areas.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Breeds in Scandinavia and
CHAFFINCH 2similar HOUSE SPARROW 2 NE Europe, in northern forest.
to 2winter; similar to 2;
dark rump; see p.375 In winter, throughout Europe, in
see p.380 farmland, parks, especially areas
whiter with beech, birch, and spruce, at
wingbars
times in gigantic concentrations
where tree seeds are abundant.
no white Seen in the UK
on rump JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 14.5cm (5 3 ⁄4in) Wingspan 25–28cm (10–11in) Weight 19–23g ( 11 ⁄16 – 13 ⁄16oz)
Social Flocks Lifespan 2–5 years Status Secure
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