Our Bullfinch bird guide will teach you how to spot them! If you see a beautifully striking pinkish breast and cheeks with a black cap and tail, it’s a male. Females look slightly different. You can identify them by their pale pinkish/orange breast. They feed mainly on seeds, fruits and shoots, while parents will feed their young insects.
To find out more about other birds, take a look at our interactive bird guide.
About
Male Bullfinches can be easily identified by their bright pink breast and grey back, whilst the females can be identified by their pale pinkie/orange breast
Locations
Populations of Bullfinches can be found in most areas across the UK
Habitat
Woodlands and farmland, as well as gardens - though they do tend to hide
Diet
Seeds, fruits and shoots. Parents also feed insects to their young
Breeding
Bullfinch breeding season takes place between April and September. Nests are made of twigs and rootlets and tend to be positioned in a secure location, under thick cover. Bullfinches can lay up to three broods in a season with each containing 4-5 eggs. Eggs are blue with even darker blotches. The incubation period is 14-16 days
BTO Facts
According to Garden BirdWatch data, which has been collected since 1995, Bullfinches are most frequently seen in gardens during June, in around 14% of gardens. They have increased in gardens since Garden BirdWatch began. As their population in the wider countryside is unfortunately declining, it seems that this species benefits from supplementary food in gardens has benefited this species.
Food we recommend
Nest boxes we recommend
Bullfinches, or any other member of the finch family for that matter, won’t use a bird box, preferring to build their own nest in the fork of a tree.