bullfinch

[spittalmyre]

hi had a bullfinch in my garden for a few days there very tame , are they common this far north ?

[kas]

They are some present all year round but there has been an influx of them this last month from the Continent, known here as Northern Bullfinches (a subspecies). Not sure the exact details but I am sure someone like Nemosia or Nirofo will be able to tell you.

I have been hoping for one to visit our garden too, but it hasnt happened yet!!

[nirofo]

They are some present all year round but there has been an influx of them this last month from the Continent, known here as Northern Bullfinches (a subspecies). Not sure the exact details but I am sure someone like Nemosia or Nirofo will be able to tell you.

I have been hoping for one to visit our garden too, but it hasnt happened yet!!

Hi kas

The Bullfinch we get here is just the normal variety of Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula pileata). You can call them northern Bullfinch if you like but we do get influxes from time to time from Scandinavia and northern Europe which are slightly larger and brighter than our birds, nominate race (Pyrrhula pyrrhula). Though how you'd tell if a single bird was a nominate pyrrhula or British pileata I'm not sure, but I think you would have to be quite familiar with both races.

Here's a photo of a male Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula pileata) feeding young in the nest, you can just make out the female in the background. Male and female tend to stay together and are normally both present when feeding young in the nest.

Bullfinch male (Pyrrhula pyrrhula pileata) feeding young in nest.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o71/nirofo/Birds/Bullfinch-male-feeding-young-in-nest.jpg

nirofo.

[nemosia]

Though how you'd tell if a single bird was a nominate pyrrhula or British pileata I'm not sure, but I think you would have to be quite familiar with both races.

Indeed, separating these races is not easy without biometrics. This BirdForum thread will give you some idea of what to look and listen for http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=24605.

Cracking birds though. Saw five at Kildonan earlier in the month.