BASIC PRINCIPLES
Eurasian Bullfinch breeds commonly across most of Britain, where it is largely sedentary. One of our most beautiful birds, it is notoriously shy and retiring, especially in the breeding season, typically giving away its presence only by quiet, rather plaintive calls. Outside the breeding season it can be a little more obliging, often appearing in pairs or small groups and feeding on the margins of flocks of other finches.
In Britain Eurasian Bullfinch is represented by the endemic subspecies pileata, known as ‘British’ Bullfinch. The species has a large Palearctic range, however, extending to the Pacific and comprising multiple subspecies. The only one of these confirmed to occur in Britain is nominate pyrrhula, known as ‘Northern’ Bullfinch, which breeds from central Europe through Scandinavia and across the whole width of Russia.
Northern Bullfinch is a rare bird in most of Britain, largely confined to the north and east and most frequent in the Northern Isles, where it is the only Eurasian Bullfinch subspecies to occur. In most years only a small number are recorded elsewhere, although it is doubtless overlooked. However, like many finches, it is prone to occasional irruptions, by far the most notable of these being that of 2004 when many hundreds of individuals arrived and were noted across much of the country.
Identification
The key to identifying Northern Bullfinch is familiarity with the native form. The features are, to say the least, subtle and not always diagnostic in isolation. They therefore need to be interpreted with care and a ‘suite of characters’ approach adopted. Northern Bullfinch candidates should be scrutinised closely and, if possible, photographed and sound recorded.
Size
An accurate assessment of size is vital. Northern Bullfinch is very big, considerably larger than the British subspecies, and barely overlaps in measurements; wing lengths for Northern and British Bullfinches are 87-97 mm and 78-87 mm respectively and total length measurements 15-17.5 cm and 14-15.5 cm.
The size of a lone bird is hard to quantify, so it is important to try to secure a direct size comparison. For example, British Bullfinch appears fat when seen alongside Chaffinch, but its total length is actually little different and it doesn’t appear significantly bigger than that species.
By contrast, when seen side by side, Northern Bullfinch looks considerably larger than a Chaffinch: about 10-15% longer and actually appearing much bigger than that due to its very considerable bulk. If such a direct size comparison can be obtained, then identification is fully confirmed, particularly if supported by the plumage features described below.
Structure
There are also some (albeit very subtle) structural features which will provide, if not absolute proof of identity, then at least a degree of additional support.
Due to their large size, Northern Bullfinches can appear very fat and broad chested, with an almost comical bulging breast and belly. They can also look extremely broad across the back when viewed from behind. When more sleeked down, however, they appear rather long bodied (almost ‘tubular’) and perhaps a little long tailed. British Bullfinches, by contrast, look just a little more compact. Although subtle and very difficult to evaluate, the bills on Northern Bullfinches are rather large and bulbous – both deep and, when viewed head on, wide – and the primary projections are long, at least the length of the exposed tertials. British Bullfinches appear a little smaller billed and shorter winged.
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One of our most beautiful birds, Eurasian Bullfinch is ❞
notoriously shy and retiring”
Plumage
Plumage features can lend additional support to a size-based identification of Northern Bullfinch. However, the differences are small and ‘average only’, while light conditions can dramatically affect apparent plumage hues; for example, sunshine can make British birds positively glow. It is best to make plumage assessments in flat, cloudy light. As with all subtle identifications, interpreting precise plumage hues from photographs can also be difficult.
Males
Northern is a pale, blueygrey above, giving a rather pallid, even ‘frosty’ appearance. The underparts are a rather ‘cold’ and pale pure rose-red or pink. This is a beautifully soft colour, as though applied in watercolour over bright white paper. Some are particularly strikingly pale pink and will stand out on this feature alone. By contrast, British Bullfinch is a very slightly darker smoky-grey above and, with good light, will always show a subtle orange component to the slightly more ‘saturated’ underparts colour.
The greater covert wingbar of Northern Bullfinch – white, sometimes with a weak pale grey wash – is very broad and rectangular, broader than on many
British birds. Its inner edge is often – though not always – uneven or ‘serrated’.
Females
Females offer arguably more plumage clues than males. Northern’s overall appearance is typically rather grey and ‘cold’, at times almost ‘ghostly’. There is little tonal or colour contrast between the upperparts and underparts and the birds therefore look rather uniform.
The upperparts are strongly washed pale grey over a fawn background, the nape is very extensively pale, almost silvery grey – and so merges with the upperparts – and the underparts are a soft grey with a beautifully subtle lilac or vinous cast, merging seamlessly with the grey nape.
The plumage hues of females are particularly sensitive to changes in angle. Viewed head on, the birds appear darker and
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2 Male British Bullfinch (Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, 26 November 2013).
This bird – photographed in bright light – looks very bright, but the combination of rather ‘smoky’ grey upperparts and clear orange hues in the underparts readily identify it as the British subspecies.
3 Female British Bullfinch (Pennington Flash CP, Greater Manchester, 8 April 2015).
This female – again photographed in bright light – shows clear mud- brown hues in the upperparts and a restricted grey nape. The upperparts contrast in both tone and colour with the bright pink- brown underparts. Note also the rather small- looking bill.
4 Female British Bullfinch (Holt, Norfolk, 9 January 2021).
This female – photographed in dull, snowy conditions – also shows clear brown hues in the upperparts and a restricted grey nape. The underparts appear duller than in the previous image but still contrast with the upperparts. Note again the relatively small- looking bill.
5 Male Northern Bullfinch (Kuusamo, Finland, 12 March 2008).
The size of this bird cannot be properly judged here, but it nevertheless looks quite bulky. Note the pure grey of the upperparts and the pink hues (lacking orange) in the underparts, both nicely visible in the dull, cloudy conditions.
6 Female Northern Bullfinch (Holkham Pines, Norfolk, 21 November 2010).
The somewhat pallid appearance of female Northern Bullfinch is well captured here. Note the pale grey hues in the upperparts, merging seamlessly with the grey nape, and a relative lack of tonal or colour contrast between the upperparts and underparts, the latter showing delicate lilac hues. Note also the rather largelooking bill and long- looking primary projection.
7 Female Northern Bullfinch (Weybourne Camp, Norfolk, 25 October 2010).
A good impression of size is given here – this bird looks big and bulky! Note also the largelooking bill. The plumage is typical of Northern birds: pale grey in the upperparts, a lack of a contrast with the grey nape and similarly toned underparts with a pale lilac cast.
greyer, but on a side or rear view they seem fractionally paler and the lilac hues are more apparent. Such views can also reveal a subtle pale pinky-buff wash in the underparts, somewhat reminiscent of the colour of Waxwing. The flanks show only a weak contrast with the white vent/undertail coverts.
By contrast, female British Bullfinch shows a darker mantle with more brown hues and a more restricted and contrasting grey nape. These darker upperparts contrast in both tone and colour with pink-brown underparts, which appear quite bright in sunshine but much duller in cloudy conditions. In addition, there is typically a clear, sharp divide between the brown flanks and the white vent/ undertail coverts.
Calls
As well as size, calls can also prove the identity of Northern Bullfinch beyond doubt. British Bullfinch gives a soft, rather plaintive ‘piping’ note, but this is somewhat variable, often sounding a little harsher. Northern Bullfinch calls come in two types: ‘piping’ notes, similar to some of those uttered by British birds, and, in some, an altogether different, sometimes loud, blaring ‘trumpet’ call. There is still much to learn about these calls – for example, the precise geographical distribution of each type has yet to be established – but individual birds are thought to give only one call type. The piping call is heard commonly in Scandinavia, and the trumpet call was new to many birders there in the 2004 influx, although it had in fact been noted before and has been widely noted since.
Trumpet calls were also heard from those birds reaching Britain in that year, and have been heard here in other years too. Such calls are never uttered by British birds so represent a shortcut to identifying Northern Bullfinch. However, a Northern giving piping calls can still be confirmed by its size and by the suite of supporting structural and plumage features discussed above. ■