Tips On Photographing The Bullfinch

The bullfinch is a gentle, sociable winter bird. He behaves shyly during the summer, but you can meet him at the next feeding house during the cold season.

Appearance

The most striking feature of the adult male bullfinch is its bright red breast. This beautiful colour stretches to the cheeks and the belly and lets the untrained observer first think of a robin. In fact, there are easily recognisable differences. Male bullfinches have a black plate head, the chin and the short, thick beak are likewise black. The bluish-gray back goes into black wings, which carry a bright bandage. The tail is black on the top, white on the underside. Female bullfinches look more discreet as they lack the red breast. Instead, they are greyish-brown there.

Occurrence

The world population of the bullfinches is estimated between 45,000,000 and 150,000,000 individuals. Apart from Iceland, southern Spain and Greece, bullfinches are found all over Europe, with the largest population living in Russia. Bullfinches are also common in large parts of Asia. Bullfinches enjoy conifer forests. In parks and gardens, it is advised to look for these evergreen plants to find the little bird, but any other thick bushes are also suitable. The bullfinch likes to hide in the summer, as much as he likes looking for a place where he can be observed well in the winter.

Photographing tips

In autumn and winter, the bullfinches travel in small family groups. They fly through feeding houses and orchards to search for food. Bullfinches are vegetarian, their favourite food is small seeds which are released by different plants. In the spring, the delicate buds of the trees are a delicious temptation, which are supplemented during the summer by various berries. So if you have perennials in the garden and do not cut them completely in the winter, you are already doing the right thing to attract bullfinches! The singing of the bird varies from soft, melodic vocals to melancholic shouts.

Their round, artistic nest is built by the female alone. She lays 4 to 6 eggs over several days, but starts brooding only when the last egg is there so that the chicks hatch at the same time. During their first days, the chicks are completely helpless, blind and naked. They have to be fed by the mother. The male is a great support here as he brings food regularly to the nest. When the chicks start to be more independent, both parents bring them food. Even after the little ones have made their first flight, they still sit on branches near the nest and continue to be fed by the parents, until they are finally autonomous.

Great deals on Eschenbach binoculars this Christmas