Bird Guide: Chaffinch

Do you think you’ve spotted this colourful bird in your garden? Take a look below at our Chaffinch bird guide – although you’re more likely to hear them before you see them! An interesting fact is that Chaffinches are the only Finches which feed their young only insects. Also, if you’re trying to attract them to your garden, scatter bird seed on the ground or on a feeding table: they don’t tend to feed from traditional hanging bird feeders.

To find out more about other birds, take a look at our interactive bird guide.

About

Male chaffinches have a striking a appearance and can be identified by their pinkish breast and underparts, blue crown, chestnut back and yellow tinted feathers. Females have more brown colouring and paler wings

Locations

Can be spotted in most areas across the UK

Habitat

Woodlands, farmlands and gardens

Diet

Insects and seeds

Breeding

Chaffinch breeding season is between April and July. They typically lay one, possibly two broods per year, containing 4-5 eggs. Eggs vary in colour and can be blue/green or red/brown

BTO Facts

According to Garden BirdWatch data, which has been collected since 1995, Chaffinches are most frequently seen in gardens in March, in around 78% of gardens. However, they have declined in gardens in recent years. Similar to Greenfinches, they have been affected by the disease Trichomonosis. However, it is not clear what has caused the steeper population decline that this species has suffered since 2012.