5 things you might not know about the bullfinch

2 min read
Bullfinch, a UK garden finch

Bullfinches are among the most beautiful birds you can see in a garden, and the hardest to catch sight of. Here are five things about them.

1. They had a price on their heads

Bullfinches eat the buds of fruit trees, which made them a pest in orchards. In England, for centuries, every parish paid a bounty for every bullfinch killed.

2. They can be taught tunes

Tamed bullfinches can be taught to whistle human melodies, and researchers have studied how well they learn them. In the wild their song is quiet and often described as mournful, and can only be heard at close range.

3. The male skips the dull autumn look

Adult males have a rich red chest and underparts, while females and young birds are grey-buff. Unlike some finches, males do not take on a duller autumn plumage, and they moult between July and October.

4. Their eggs are pale blue

A pair lays four to seven pale blue eggs mottled with red-brown, and raises two or three broods between early May and mid-July. They prefer a bush more than four metres tall and wide, or mature scrub.

5. They live as pairs, not flocks

Outside the breeding season bullfinches do not gather in large flocks. You are most likely to see a pair or a family group. UK numbers have fallen since the 1970s, which is attributed to the loss of orchards and woodlands.

A note on names

The scientific name pyrrhula comes from the Greek for flame-coloured, and Aristotle mentioned a worm-eating bird of that name. In Shropshire the bullfinch is called the plum bird, which points to its taste for fruit trees.

What bullfinches like to eat, and where

Bullfinches are shy, and prefer a feeder close to a hedge or shrub where they can slip out of sight. They enjoy sunflower hearts, which are in every one of our seasonal blends. Offer them in a Little Lantern seed feeder filled with our seasonal bird food near some cover. Plant hawthorn and ash if you have the space, because they are favourites in autumn and early winter. If you are not sure which feeder suits your garden, our feeding quiz will point you in the right direction.

Want to keep track of the bullfinches in your garden? Amidst the Birdsong: A Garden Birdwatcher's Journal is made for exactly that.

Want to read about more garden birds? See all the birds in this series.

While you're here

Because there's always something worth knowing about the birds in your garden.
Clare Cahill

Thank you for reading!

Clare Cahill is a bird enthusiast with a passion for observing and learning. While she definitely doesn’t have a formal degree in ornithology, Clare has dedicated hours to reading birding books and exploring nature, constantly expanding her knowledge and deepening her love for wildlife.

For Clare, birdwatching brings a sense of calm and connection to the world, offering a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. She believes that the more we connect with nature, the more we can do to protect and conserve it. Through her writing, Clare hopes to inspire others to take a moment to pause, look up, and appreciate the calm and connection that comes from letting a little wildness into our everyday lives.

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When life feels busy, the birds keep it simple.

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