Chaffinch (fringilla coelebs)

This common finch is present all year across all of the British Isles. The ‘coelebs’ part of its Latin name means ‘bachelor’ as they often group together in all-male flocks in the winter. Chaffinches often cheekily hang around tourist car parks waiting to be fed titbits. They are quite common at Scotswood Garden where they eat mainly weed seeds.

Male birds have a grey/blue head and neck with pinkish brown underparts. The female is brown but both have the same white stripes on their wings. Chaffinches are about 15cm from head to tail.

They build their nests in the bushes in the garden. Sometimes their eggs are bluish but some are brownish-white.

They have a song that sounds like ‘pink twink’ which changes a bit depending on where they live in the UK. So, listen out for those Geordie chaffinches in our garden!