Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

The chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) is frequently described in field guides as Britain's most common bird, it is certainly Europe's most common finch. After the 2014 RSPB Garden Birdwatch it stood at number five amongst our most common garden birds with an average of 2.2 per garden, by 2022 it had fallen to number ten so all is not well for the chaffinch in common with several species of ground feeding birds and disease from uncleaned feeding stations is one theory for their demise.

A good number do visit gardens in winter when food supplies are short in the countryside but they disappear in spring to go nesting and raise their young. 

With them being so common it is easy to overlook what a striking little bird the male chaffinch is with a range of colours from pink to blue to black to white and many others in between. Despite the diverse range of colours, it is the white that one notices first when it flies; the white wing bars are immediately visible and are the easiest diagnostic feature. Quite often with birds there is one specific point that you recognise instantly and enables you to identify it immediately and for me it is that flash of white that does it.

Unlike most of its finch cousins the chaffinch has never really mastered the art of nut bag feeding, it is predominantly a ground feeder. However, it is prepared to have a go at seed containers that provide little perches to stand on but even then they do not seem happy. They much prefer to keep their feet firmly on the ground.