Northern Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula (Linnaeus, 1758)

		male female
2014-12-29 Irkutsk, Baikal region 2014-02-17 Irkitsk, Baikal reg.	© Vadim Ivushkin © Vadim Ivushkin

Biology

Rare resident, but common winter visitor on most of non-breeding territory. Inhabits the spruce-fir and cedar-larch forests with some deciduous trees at altitudes 1500-1900 m; in winter prefers the deciduous forests, shelterbelts, gardens and thickets of tall weeds. Breeds in separate pairs fairly far from each other. Nest is located in spruce at height 1.5-5 m above the ground; nest is built from the twigs, dry grass, moss and lichen and is lined with thin parts of plants, hair and feathers. Clutch of 4-7 eggs is laid in end of May - June. Mainly female incubates clutch for 13-15 days, male feed her. Both parents feed juveniles which fledge at age 15-16 days old. Probably rears two broods per season. Recently hatched juveniles were observed in first ten days of August, but full-grown juveniles were recorded in end of June to early August. Autumn dispersal begins late, in October, in southern part of Kazakhstan Bullfinches appears in end of November – December. Spring migration takes place from February up to end of March - mid-April.

References