Why don't finches fly in winter. Common finch - what it looks like, features of a bird. Interesting signs associated with the arrival of birds in the spring

The finch is the most numerous of the songbirds living in Europe. As ornithologists sometimes joke, this is what scientists who study the habits of birds call - there are more finches in Europe than the population of Europe itself, and more seriously, the number of finches is from 80 to one hundred million pairs. At the same time, it is interesting that finches in wild nature they do not live more than two years, although in captivity the life expectancy of a finch in 10 years is not the limit.

Of all the species of songbirds, the chaffinch is the most studied by scientists, this is evidenced by at least the fact that they counted more than 450 varieties of chaffinch and identified more than 10 “conversational” signals in the song of the chaffinch, with the help of which birds communicate with each other.

Among them are signals of courtship, begging and warning to an intruder. The finch's song is usually short, up to 3 seconds, and more like a dialogue. The female finch is less sociable than the male, sings less often, her song is not very diverse.

Chaffinch bird photo and description

What does a finch bird look like easy to remember from the photo. Let's try to describe the finch in words. First of all, size, a finch is no larger than a sparrow. By the color of the plumage of the male finch, it is easy to distinguish from the female. As with other songbirds, the coloration of the female is duller.

The male finch as in this photo the back is brown with a green tint, the goiter, wings, tail and chest are brown with redness, the head is bluish-gray, white spots or stripes on the wings.

The favorite habitats of the finch bird are not dense mixed forests, forest belts, parks and gardens. The chaffinch avoids deaf places, but it can often be found near human habitation, in the garden, and also in bushes along rivers and lakes. Apparently, this way of living is associated with the extraction of food.

The chaffinch feeds on seeds of trees, grasses, grain, does not disdain green leaves of plants, and in the summer it cleans gardens and kitchen gardens from insect pests with which it feeds chicks.

Is the finch a migratory bird?

finch migratory bird or not is a rhetorical question. It all depends on the area where he lives. In central Europe and the Caucasus, it stays for the winter; from Europe, the chaffinch flies to winter in the Mediterranean. From us to the Caucasus and to the south of Kazakhstan from the Urals and Siberia to Central Asia.

Birds return from wintering in early April, and by early June, chicks are already growing up in the finches family and flying out of their nests. The second replenishment in the family of finches usually appears in July, and from the end of September the departure of birds for wintering begins.

Look very impressive bird finch in winter against the backdrop of snow-covered trees, it would seem that they do not need support, but this is a misleading opinion. Like any other bird, it is difficult for a finch to find food and a person must help him in this.

Keeping a finch at home.

Finch at home a desirable bird, since ancient times in Russia, the chaffinch was considered a talisman of the hearth and family happiness, but problematic. The finch bird does not tolerate closed spaces at all, even in nature, unlike, for example, from a nightingale or a siskin, it does not live in thickets. At the same time, the finch is extremely pugnacious by nature, 2 males never get along in the same cage.

Being planted in a cage, the finch beats against its bars so hard, trying to free itself, that it breaks into blood. So only keep finches outside in a free enclosure and preferably built around a living tree.

Of course, you can try to keep one finch at home in a spacious cage, just cover the cage with a cloth first, it will calm the bird and it will stop beating.

Growing a finch at home it is still possible and brings a lot of pleasure to the owners. In terms of the beauty of singing, finches are close to, although, for example, I like it more in terms of the beauty of singing. Special singing tournaments with prizes are often held among finches.

Chaffinch bird - 12 photos + video "How the chaffinch sings"

For the little ones - Georgian fairy tale king and finch.

There are countries in which tourism based on bird watching is widely developed. This whole science, which has its amateurs and professionals. For her, there is even a special term of English origin, which in the Russian manner sounds like "birding".

Often people do not even notice those birds that live nearby. But in vain! Among ordinary birds, there are quite attractive species that are distinguished by excellent singing and bright colors.

So, the chaffinch can be found throughout Europe. The bird is quite unpretentious to its habitat, so it settles not only in forests, but also in urban gardens and parks. If you conduct your observations, you can find out whether the finch is a migratory bird or not. The answer will also be given in this article.

Why a finch?

In order to understand the issue of the origin of the name, it is worth turning to Russian folklore. There is a sign that the lark sings for the onset of summer, and the finch for the return of frost. The bird arrives from wintering quite early, when spring has not yet fully come into its own. They immediately begin to sing. People began to say that the singing of a finch warns a person that he will have to chill, that is, it is worth waiting for spring frosts. The Latin name of the bird is translated as "cool". Perhaps this means that the cold will come for her.

According to another version, the chaffinch was named so due to the fact that during its singing in early spring, it abruptly ends its trills. It seems as if he was out of breath from the cold. This bird also shudders slightly while singing. But what does a finch bird look like?

Appearance

The species belongs to the Vyurkov family. The description of the bird (finch) is better to start with the fact that it looks like a sparrow. Only her plumage is much brighter. In males, especially during the breeding season, the head and neck are blue. Their cheeks, throat, chest are burgundy, and their forehead is black.

There are light stripes on the black wings. The tail is dark in color with a green tint. By autumn, the color scheme turns pale, the color changes to a brownish color. The color of the female is dominated by gray-green tones.

There are many subspecies of finches. Each of them has distinctive features in appearance. For example, body size or beak shape.

Habitat

Depending on the season, the finch bird lives in different territories. In summer, she lives in the countries of Europe, in Siberia, the Caucasus. For the winter it flies to Central Europe, Asia Minor, Crimea, Kazakhstan. It even reaches North Africa.

Accommodation features

Finches are classified as migratory birds. Therefore, it is not correct to say that this is a wintering bird. The finch can adapt and stay for the winter, if it has chosen to appropriate place. A lot depends on where you live. There are finches sedentary, nomadic, migratory.

For wintering, he does not always leave the borders of one country. He can choose the southern region, where the winter is milder. For flight, birds gather in flocks of 50-100 individuals. They fly at a speed of 55 kilometers per hour. Along the way, they can make stops in areas rich in food. A few days later, their flight continues. In wintering areas, they live in flocks. Sparrows sometimes join them.

The finches return in early spring. They settle where there are trees - in forests, city parks, groves. They give preference to sparse spruce forests, light forests, mixed forests. They often fly to the place where they were last summer. Such birds fly very fast and jump on the ground.

Singing

The finch is a bird that sings beautifully. Her songs are loud and resonant. There are many variations of singing, depending on individual characteristics kind. Trills are similar to those performed by a lark.

The chant lasts three seconds. This is followed by a short pause and a repetition of the chant. Young birds perform melodies that do not differ in any complexity. They learn from adults, gradually acquiring skill and improving their virtuosity.

The sounds that the finch makes differ depending on the region of residence. In total, there are up to ten songs in his repertoire. He does them one by one.

By these birds, one can predict not only the arrival of spring, but also the likelihood of rain. Before precipitation, they perform "ryu-ryu-ryu". By autumn, the singing becomes quiet. This is most likely due to the end of the breeding season. The male no longer needs to attract the attention of his companion.

At home, the bird sings loudly from January to September. However, it is better not to have it as a pet. Finches do not like to live in cages. They get nervous a lot, they try to fly away, they may refuse to sing. In captivity, they are prone to obesity, eye problems appear. If, nevertheless, such a bird appeared in the house, you should pay attention to its diet. It should be closer to natural. How do birds eat in the wild?

Nutrition

The finch bird eats both plant and animal food. To do this, she catches various insects, looking for grain. Her beak is very strong. It is complemented by strong facial muscles. Therefore, the bird is able to pierce the shell of a beetle or the shell of a seed.

Basic diet:

• weed seeds;
• tree buds;
• leaves;
• cones;
• berries;
• flowers;
• insects.

The finch is not averse to eating the seeds that are sown in the fields. Workers often complain about them. Agriculture. But, eating a huge number of insects, they bring more benefits to both agricultural crops and forest plantations.

Especially a lot of insects they exterminate during the appearance of chicks. Finches feed them only protein food. What is not so common among the birds of this family.

reproduction

In the spring, finches, the photo and description of which are presented in the article, arrive in flocks, united by gender. Males return early. They keep separate from females. The breeding process begins with luring girlfriends to their territory. For this, the males sing loudly. The sounds are similar to the chirping of chicks.

The mating season begins in March. Before luring a mate, males need to occupy a nesting site. Usually last year's place is chosen. If there are competitors near the nesting place, they are immediately expelled. Therefore, there are frequent fights between adults and first years.

During this period, males behave fussy, constantly fight, often interrupt their songs, and their plumage on their heads is smoothed.

The female finch is nearby. She flies up to the male, sits next to him on a branch or on the ground. The female bends her legs, raises her wings with a tail. Her head is thrown up, and a quiet "zi-zi-zi" comes from her beak. This is how a couple is formed.

A month later, they begin to build their home. The main thing in this matter is the female, and the male only helps. Researchers have calculated that she picks up materials for building a nest from the ground. She goes down about 1300 times. From the ground, the nest is built at a distance of four meters. Although the height and type of tree can be very different.

It takes a week to build a nest. Usually the nest has the form of a bowl. As a material, the bird uses moss, thin rods, grass, roots. The web serves as a fastener. The nest has rather thick walls - about two centimeters. The outer part is covered with moss, lichen or birch bark. Inside the bowl is lined with plumage, down, wool. Such a house is not always visible from the ground, thanks to good camouflage.

The female lays 3 to 6 eggs. They have a greenish tint with irregular red spots. The female incubates them, and her partner brings food, taking care of her. But the male is not monogamous. He can find another female for himself to mate, not forgetting to take care of his offspring.

chicks

Finch chicks are born two weeks after laying. They have red skin. Dark fluff covers only the back and head. Babies are helpless. Parents put insects in their beaks. During this period, they should not be disturbed. Any outside interference will cause the parents to leave the nest and the chicks to die.

By mid-June, the chicks are ready to leave the nest. Parents help young birds for a few more weeks. By the end of summer, the couple may have a second brood. Only this time there will be significantly fewer eggs in the clutch.

Lifespan

Finches are forest birds that seek food for themselves and their chicks on the ground. They are often prey to predators. Perhaps that is why they do not live long. Although in captivity their life expectancy is up to twelve years.

They are found in nature very often, therefore they do not belong to rare species or endangered. Finches do not pose a danger or value to humans, they do not harm. That is why you will not find them in the Red Book. Although there are many beautiful pictures of males with a bright color on the Web. This suggests that the bird is popular with ornithologists.

To the question, does the chaffinch fly to hot countries in winter? THANK! given by the author Yörgey The best answer is No, finches do not fly to Africa... Some of the birds (especially old males) winter in Central Europe, the rest fly south (mainly to the Mediterranean). It is also common in winter in the foothill forests of the Caucasus. It is not afraid of the cold and arrives in early spring, when there is snow on the fields. Yes, and flies away in late autumn, in a cold, as the people say, “chilly” time. That's why they called him a finch. The name of this bird is given by the time of departure. In our area, the chaffinch is a nomadic and migratory bird that arrives in Moscow from wintering in April.

Answer from Jovetlana Dubrovsky[guru]
Most finches - migratory birds. Many of them winter in their nesting areas - mainly males. This fact was already noticed by K. Linnaeus, who, looking for a name for this species, chose the word "widower" (coelebs). Finches spend winter in the south and west of Europe. Their spring migration occurs in March - April, and autumn - in September - October. Flocks are usually divided by gender - males arrive at nesting sites earlier than females and immediately occupy nesting sites, the boundaries of which are marked by intense singing (settled males sometimes sing as early as February). After mating, the female immediately proceeds to choose a place for the nest. The nest is considered one of the best among those built by birds: it is firmly woven from moss and soft stems, camouflaged from the outside with lichen from trees where finches nest, as well as insect cocoons and cobwebs, which makes it almost invisible.

Answer from Salt[guru]

Answer from chevron[guru]
The arrival of finches is one of the first spring dates after the return of rooks, starlings and larks. The street is slushy, a brown mixture of melted snow and mud. A warm and humid breeze is blowing, saturated with spring smells. In the gardens they repeat loudly big tits his sonorous melody: "chi-chi-fi .. . chi-chi-fi ... ”In the villages, by the barns and omets of straw, the buntings are already singing their ringing “zin-zin-zin ...” It is at this time that we hear the first, advanced finches. Their sharp “pin-pin-pin”, similar to the cry of tits, is loudly heard from the tops of bare trees. Singing has not yet been heard. The birds are obviously tired and silent. If you come closer and look through binoculars, you can see that these are only males. They have a brownish chest and cheeks, a noticeably dark top, a bluish-gray head, and distinct white stripes on the wings - the most characteristic feature in the coloration of the chaffinch. There are no females (grayish-brown, almost uniform) yet. They arrive a few days later. Therefore, Linnaeus, two hundred years ago, called the chaffinch (in Latin) “idle” finch. Flocks of finches quickly move to summer places in the spring, usually returning to their homeland, and sometimes even to the same gardens and groves where they nested last year. By the end of April, birds are already filling their entire nesting area - in the European part of Russia from the Crimea and the Caucasus to the White Sea, and in Asia almost the entire Western Siberia - from Kazakhstan to Tobolsk and east to the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Outside of Russia, the chaffinch lives in the summer throughout Europe and in northwestern Africa, as well as in the mountains of Asia Minor, in Palestine and Iran. In the Caucasus, in the Crimea, in the Trans-Caspian Territory and in Western Europe Several subspecies of the chaffinch have been identified, differing in shades of color on the back and abdomen. Our finches winter in Transcaucasia, and West Siberian finches in Kazakhstan. To the south, wintering reaches Egypt, but in warm winters some birds linger on the southern coast of the Crimea, and sometimes in Ukraine and even to the north, almost to the middle zone of the European part of Russia. “fuu-fuu-fuu-dee-di-dee-la-la-la-wee-chiu.” This last sharp cry of “wee-chiu” (“stroke”) is very characteristic of the song of the finch. You can recognize a chaffinch by it even among the many-voiced forest choir. It is worth dwelling on the song of the finch in more detail. It usually consists of several tribes. The song is not continuous, as, for example, with a lark or a goldfinch, but is completely finished, has its own definite beginning, middle and end. Having sung once, the finch starts again, but sometimes changes some syllables (most often the end). There are singers who have two or three different tunes, performed in turn. For each male, the song is constructed and sounds peculiar (preserving the common finch type), so that with a certain skill it is possible to distinguish several singers by the voice. In one chaffinch the song is short, as if “chopped”, in another it is noticeably longer, “in bulk”, in the third it is, as it were, doubled, etc., with endless variations. Sometimes a finch builds its song both from borrowed parts of songs and from the calls of other birds (the so-called “copying”). Especially often foreign sounds are borrowed for the first knee of the song. Sometimes a chaffinch starts out just like a pipit, a bunting, or even imitates a river warbler, and then continues “finch-like” and always ends with its usual “stroke”. Often a finch at the end of a song, after the last sharp sound, “stroke”, makes a “push”: ends with “wee-chiu”, and then “kick”. Some individuals even make two pushes. For amateurs, this repulsion is considered a defect in the song.

Nature has arranged the lifestyle of birds in such a way that many of them constantly migrate from one habitat to another, and this happens due to changes in weather conditions. As temperature regime greatly affects the life and reproduction of birds, they usually leave their native lands when winter comes, and return back in the spring, in March-May.

Arrival of birds after wintering always means one thing: the cold receded and made way for the heat. And here it becomes interesting for many to find out which birds arrive first in the spring.

Which birds arrive first

Many do not even suspect that all migratory birds follow a certain arrival schedule, and each species strictly follows it. It is also interesting that they all return to their former place of residence and even to their previously built nests. If something happened to the nest during the absence of feathered hosts, then the latter settle down again, after which they breed offspring in them.

So, In what order do the spring birds arrive?

What other birds fly in the spring

Speaking of spring feathered messengers, one should not forget about such like a nightingale and a swallow.

First, it is worth mentioning the nightingales, because these are the ones that are recognizable by how wonderfully they can sing. And despite its very inconspicuous appearance(this bird is gray with a brownish tint), the nightingale has a charming voice that captivates everyone without exception.

Another bright symbol of spring is swallows. These birds do not know how to sing like nightingales, but they are very fond of settling closer to people, often equipping their nests in the hallways, under the balconies and eaves of houses. They can also often be seen in the gorges above the rivers.

Arrival calendar of spring birds

For many, many years, people have been watching the arrival of birds from the warm lands of their native places, and ornithologists, thanks to scientific research, were able to make a calendar of the arrival of birds:

• from March 18 to March 20, rooks return;
• March 25-April 6 - starlings arrive;
• April 1-10 - during this period finches, larks, swans and blackbirds arrive;
• April 11-20 - ducks and geese, cranes and gulls return to their native lands;
• end of April - redstarts, forest pipits, foams;
• first half of May - swallows and flycatchers arrive;
• in mid-May swifts and nightingales usually return;
• Orioles return at the end of May.

In addition to certain periods of time in which birds return to their native lands, there are also certain routes along which they travel.

Interesting signs associated with the arrival of birds in the spring

Arrival of spring birds - it is always a sign that winter has receded and spring and warm weather are ahead. And it has long been customary to associate their certain behavior with some signs, for example:

It is with the melting of snow and the cheerful whistle of birds marks the arrival of spring. Schoolchildren begin to make birdhouses at labor lessons, and the first swallow nests begin to appear under the roofs of houses.

Almost every inhabitant of Russia at least once in his life met a small, sparrow-like bird - a finch. Despite the resemblance to a sparrow, it will not be difficult to distinguish between these two representatives of the sparrow order. Finches are distinguished by a brighter color, especially males. They can brag to their motley counterparts with a red chest, a blue head and a brown back with a green tint.

Nature endowed females with a less remarkable color, their plumage does not surprise with the brightness of colors, it looks faded compared to males. Under natural conditions, these birds rarely live to the age of three, while in captivity they can live for more than ten years.

It is worth taking a closer look at the appearance of these birds. Many note their resemblance to sparrows, but the color of finches is their hallmark. Males of this species stand out especially:

1. Finches are small birds. Their body length rarely reaches twenty centimeters, and their weight is thirty grams.
2. The beak is small and sharp, painted in gray.
3. The plumage on the head and neck is bluish or dark blue.
4. The throat, cheeks and chest have a rusty, dark red or even burgundy feather color.
5. The forehead is painted black, and the tail is black with a dark green tint.
6. The back has a brick or tawny plumage.
7. Each wing has two bright stripes.

In autumn, the molting period begins in birds and the new plumage of males becomes as faded as that of females. Then the colors acquire saturation and during the mating season become brighter and more provocative.

The color of the beak of finches changes depending on the time of year.. In winter, it acquires a brown hue, and in spring and summer it becomes bluish.

The color of females does not surprise with a riot of colors. Their plumage is painted in more faded colors. This is necessary in order to make the bird less visible to predators. Especially this color helps during the period of incubation of eggs. The female merges with the surrounding landscape and does not attract the attention of unwanted persons. The female finches have brown feathers on the back, the breast is colored in the same way as in males. In general, their color is made in a more restrained tone and has a dark green tint.

Grown up chicks are covered with the same plumage as females, but then, at the first molt as adult birds, their feathers acquire the color they need, depending on the sex

Habitat of the common finch

Common finches populate the whole territory of Russia, as well as Europe. They can also be found in northern Africa and Asia. Ornithologists consider finches to be truly unique creatures, and this opinion is fully justified. Despite their small size, these birds are able to easily fly long distances, seas and oceans. Finches prefer to settle in forests, but due to the large number of cities, these birds can be found in city parks, gardens and squares. People are treated calmly and have long learned to benefit from such a neighborhood and their own benefit.

migratory season

Although finches are considered migratory birds, some flocks prefer to stay at home and do well in cold winter climates. The rest of the birds at the end of summer begin to stray into groups of fifty to one hundred individuals and in September fly away to Central Europe, Asia, Crimea and Kazakhstan. There they wait out the harsh Russian winter and return to their homeland in the spring.

Not all flocks make long flights, some individuals prefer to simply move to neighboring more southern regions and stay there for the winter. When migrating south the finches develop a speed of about fifty-five kilometers per hour. Periodically, birds make stops for several days, where they rest and feed.

Finches that have remained to winter in their native region also gather in groups and for the winter time move from forests to meadows, fields and other open areas. Finches or sparrows are often nailed to them, and finches favorably accept them into their flocks.

The name of the finch bird comes from such words as chill and freeze, as they fly to warmer climes only with the onset of cold weather, and return home at the very beginning of spring. Our ancestors had many signs associated with these wonderful birds, for example, they believed that the chaffinch sings to frost, and if you meet him in winter or early spring, then this is warming. In Latin, the name of this bird sounds like Fringilla, which means cold.

Ornithologists divide finches into:

• Settled.
• Nomads.
• Migratory.

The lifestyle of these birds directly depends on the geography of their habitat.

Lifestyle and character

Finches fly very fast, and move on the ground by jumping. These birds are virtuoso singers. They have a pleasant, resonant and loud voice, similar to a lark, but with a varying personality.

The songs of the finches consist of three-second tunes. Between them, the bird makes small pauses. Young individuals are distinguished by ease of execution, but gradually learn from more mature individuals, gain experience and improve their skills.

Ornithologists note that finches of different regions differ from each other in their sound. If the finch is a nomad and periodically changes its place of residence, then some time after the flight, its songs become similar to the songs of new neighbors. Each finch has its own repertoire, which includes a maximum of ten songs, the bird performs them in turn.

With the help of finches can predict the weather. Experts have identified a pattern - if a bird sings a song resembling the sounds of "ryu-ryu", then it will rain in the near future. Finches begin to sing immediately after returning from wintering, and end in July.

Before leaving for warmer climes birds sing softly and very rarely or not at all. Finches that are kept at home begin their songs in the middle of winter.

AT recent times many songbird lovers seek to acquire a finch. But these creatures not intended for home use. Finches are wild birds, they feel very uncomfortable in a cage, they experience stress and do not stop trying to get out. In such cramped conditions, finches can develop eye problems or obesity. Yes, and picking up food for such birds is quite problematic.

diet

The finches eat plants and various insects. These birds have a strong beak, strong facial muscles and a special structure of the sky, which allows them to easily crack through hard shells and shells of bugs.

The diet includes:

• Weed seeds, cones.
• Young buds and leaves from bushes and trees.
• Flowers and berries.
• Various insects.

Often agricultural workers blame finches for spoiling crops, but these birds can be safely called helpers. They destroy weed seeds in large quantities, which are of great benefit to fields with cultivated plantings and forest areas.

reproduction

Flocks of females and males return separately from wintering. The male birds arrive earlier to take up territory for future nesting. Then the males begin to sing songs similar to the chirping of chicks, thus luring the females into their possessions.

The breeding season for finches begins at the very beginning of spring. When choosing a territory, males choose separate areas that have their own boundaries and differ in area. Adults choose the same places every year. Finches closely monitor the boundaries of their possessions and a wandering competitor is immediately expelled out. Often, youngsters fight with more mature males to recapture their territory or narrow their boundaries.

During the mating season, male finches behave like real bullies. They swear and fight among themselves, sing songs to each other. The female chooses the attracted male and flies closer to him. Then she starts dating. In order to get acquainted with the gentleman they like, finch girls do this:

1. They bend their paws.
2. Raise wings and tail.
3. They throw their heads up.

All these actions are accompanied by a quiet squeak, like "zi-zi". Birds can get acquainted in this way directly on the ground or on tree branches.

About a month later, the birds begin to build a nest. The main thing in this matter is the female, while the male appears as an assistant. Ornithologists have found that in order to create a home, a female has to fly for materials no less than one thousand three hundred times. Finches build nests almost everywhere, but most often they can be seen at a height of four meters, among the branches of a tree.

The construction of the nest lasts for about one week; the finished structure resembles a bowl with a diameter of up to one hundred centimeters. To build a home, birds use:

• Grass.
• Thin roots.
• Twigs and twigs.

All materials are fastened together with cobwebs.

The walls of the nest are very strong, their thickness can reach two and a half centimeters. The outer part of the dwelling, the birds trim with moss and tree bark. Inside the nest there is a perinka, consisting of fluff, feathers and hairs of animals. This creates a warm and well-camouflaged shelter.

Females lay three to six greenish eggs with red dots. While she is incubating the chicks, the male takes responsibility for the care and feeding of the mother. About two weeks after laying, chicks appear. At first, they have bare red skin and some dark hair on their head and back.

At first, the babies are absolutely helpless, and the parents independently get food for them and put the chicks right into their beaks. At this time, in no case should you approach the nests of these birds, as they can fly away and never return. In this case, the chicks are doomed to starvation or death from predators.

Closer to mid-June, the chicks will already be covered with their first plumage, gain strength and begin to make attempts to fly out of the nest. Parents will accompany and help them in flights for about a month.

Finches die most often from inattention and negligence, from the paws of predators or people.