Wildlife
Chaffinches are cheerful garden visitors that have been known to live for a remarkable 14 years. Males are recognisable for their pink cheeks and chest and blue-grey nape and crown; both sexes have distinctive white flashes on their wings. During winter European chaffinches migrate to Britain.
Curiously, it's typically the females that migrate as the males prefer to remain in northern Europe. These remaining lone males give rise to their Latin name "coelebs" meaning bachelor. Chaffinches are one of the most common birds in Britain, with almost six million breeding pairs. Their distinctive, jangling songs vary from bird to bird, and there are even regional dialects in different parts of the UK.
Scientific name: Fringilla coelebs
Rank: Species
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Beak breakers
Pine cones come in different shapes and sizes, as do the beaks needed to open them.
Pine cones come in different shapes and sizes, as do the beaks needed to open them.
Caledonian forest life
A few feeders soon bring out the bird life in a wet Scottish forest.
A few feeders soon bring out the bird life in a wet Scottish forest.
Niche separation
Finches share sites and food sources to avoid competition.
Finches share sites and food sources to avoid competition.
Food fights
There are always some birds who like to rule the roost.
There are always some birds who like to rule the roost.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Chaffinch can be found in a number of locations including: Africa, Asia, China, Europe, Mediterranean, Russia, United Kingdom, Wales. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Chaffinch distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Year assessed: 2009
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
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Garden birds
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Oak wood
Farmland
Brownfield land
Chalk grassland
Coastal
Beech wood
Heathland
Hedgerows
Wildflower meadow
Moorland
Parkland
Broadleaf forest
Temperate grassland
Urban
Helpless young
Migration
Courtship display
Adapted to flying
Acoustic communication
Maternal care
Moulting
Egg layer
Swarming