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The Bullfinch is a quiet, secretive but heavily built finch that usually spends its time among the branches and dense undergrowth of woodlands. The male is a truly handsome bird, unmistakable with his bright pinkish-red breast and cheeks, grey back, black cap and tail, and bright white rump. The flash of the rump in flight and the sad call note, containing a fluted whistle, are usually the first signs of bullfinches being present. The female has a brown back and pinkish-fawn under parts. Both sexes have a stout black bill, black wings, under-tail coverts and wing-bar. The tail is slightly forked and the legs are brown. The juveniles are like the adult female, but do not have black caps.
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The Bullfinch can be seen throughout the year in pairs or in small family parties. In the spring, they also may form flocks of about fifty (rarely over one hundred) birds. Bullfinches feed primarily on buds and seeds. The buds from fruit trees, especially woodland
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trees, are eaten exclusively in the spring. A bullfinch feeds on the buds by landing on the tip of a branch and slowly moving towards the trunk, stripping the bud as it goes. It only feeds on these buds, however, when supplies of seeds remaining from the previous summer and autumn diminish. They have a preference for the seeds of dock, nettles, privet, bramble, birch and ash.
During the breeding season and late summer the Bullfinch is particularly shy but as winter approaches and hedgerow food becomes more difficult to find they will come into gardens in search of food. They may then be in small groups and will come to the bird table and bird feeders.
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