When winter comes, small red-breasted birds fly to the cities. These are bullfinches, flying in a loud flock. Today we will tell you what kind of bird the bullfinch is - does it fly away where in the summer, why is it in the city in the winter and why is its chest red.
Forest in winter time It cannot boast of a special variety of colors. All around are blue and white snow and the dark green of coniferous trees. And suddenly, among this diversity, lights flash - these are red-breasted bullfinches flying from branch to branch.
All types of bullfinches have similar sizes. The birds are small, slightly larger than a sparrow. All have a slightly elongated black tail, a short thick beak and a black cap on the head.
But the color of the thick fluffy plumage in other parts of the body may vary. Males have a bright red, almost scarlet, entire chest. Females are more modestly colored - their breasts are brownish.
There is a species of bullfinches whose lower back is white, and the entire front part, shoulders and neck are gray, which is why they are called gray bullfinches. Others have yellow coloration on their backs, and their name is yellow-backed. The red-headed bullfinch has a red cap on its head, not black. That's how different bullfinches can be.
The red-headed bullfinch (Pyrrhula erythrocephala) is the most abundant species of this genus in the Himalayas In total, 9 species have been identified, and the shades of plumage are different for all, so the opinion that all bullfinches have a red breast is erroneous.
Bullfinches inhabit the entire forest zone of Europe and most of Asia. In Russia they can be found in all forests where they grow coniferous trees, and even in the forest-steppe zone.
The bird is sedentary, but you can watch it only in winter. They often fly to city parks and gardens to feed, then they can be clearly seen. Bullfinches hang on the branches like living lanterns.
Bullfinches are calm and friendly birds, fights between them occur very rarely, and the whole flock will fly to the squeak of a bird in trouble But in the summer it is difficult to notice them, so some people think that bullfinches fly to other lands. They actually fly, but only deep into the dense spruce thicket, where they will build their nests.
The flock flies very beautifully, its flight resembles iridescent river waves.
As soon as the frosts recede and the sun warms up more, immediately in February-March bullfinches begin to attract each other with their songs. Their quiet melodious whistling can be heard far around. And what’s interesting is that, unlike all birds, females of bullfinches also sing. True, their song is unsightly, similar to a squeak.
These birds form a pair in April and begin to build a nest in a hidden, secluded place. Impenetrable spruce thickets are just suitable for this. They build a nest from small twigs and roots on the thin ends of spruce branches, less often pine. Therefore, the number of bullfinches in spruce forests is much higher than in some others.
Closer to summer, when the chicks are already hatching, the parents begin to molt, so fluff and small feathers are also added to the nest.
The female incubates the eggs, and the male brings her food throughout the nesting period.
The chicks differ in color from their parents; the color of their feathers is rich Brown and there is no black cap on the head.
Towards the end of autumn, the family begins to wander in search of food. And when the snow falls, they become clearly visible. That’s why people say: “The bullfinches have arrived, bringing winter on their wings.”
Most often in photographs or paintings these birds are depicted sitting on rowan branches. Its berries are their favorite food. Moreover, they do not eat the pulp, but only peck out the seeds. Because of this, gutted red crumbs of berries are always scattered on the snow under the tree.
In general, their diet, despite the fact that it is only of plant origin, is quite varied. In winter these are the seeds of alder, maple, ash, hornbeam, and elderberry. In the summer, in the fields, they feast on the seeds of quinoa, burdock, horse sorrel and other herbs.
Of course not! Is it really possible to call these red-breasted beauties, who are a real decoration of the true Russian winter, famous for its snowiness, frostiness and severity, that way? Although, due to significant climate changes and natural anomalies, not all Russian regions can boast of an abundance of snow cover and severe frosts.
But for bullfinches, such natural deviations are not at all a hindrance, and every winter these wonderful birds can be seen not only in snow-covered (or not snow-covered) forests, but also in populated areas. Parks, squares, forest belts, gardens - these are the places that bullfinches simply adore. But why and where bullfinches come from in winter - the dear reader will learn about this a little later. In the meantime, for those who have never seen a bullfinch (and there are such people), here are some interesting facts.
Don't look for red-breasted bullfinch females, because they simply don't exist in nature. The brownish-grayish breast is the only thing a lady can boast of, this is the only detail in her color that can somehow attract attention, and is a distinctive gender characteristic. And so... The female bullfinch is an unremarkable, gray bird. She became this way “not after caring for the children,” Mother Nature simply ordered it this way, so as not to attract unnecessary attention to her.
IN summer period, the male also cannot boast of such noticeable coloring. And there is no need for it at this time of year. But in winter, male bullfinches appear in all their glory: in addition to the red breast, they can boast a silver-bluish back, a snow-white rump (and undertail, too), and the head, tail and wings are painted impeccably black. And in those places where bullfinches fly for the summer, such a bright color is not the best camouflage. Therefore, males in warm time years look much more modest.
The area of distribution of the population is so vast that the bullfinch can be found both in Japan and in the Arctic. Only with the onset of cold weather, these birds tend to migrate. It is clear that fish look for deeper places, and birds look for warmer places (unless they are penguins or loons). So bullfinches fly in small flocks to places where the climate is milder. People living in central Russia! If you see bullfinches, then know that they came from guests from the frozen North.
But residents of the southern regions may not wait for the arrival of these birds, because they live with them all year round. Why should they migrate somewhere if the winter is mild and their home is nearby? “But where do bullfinches live in the summer?” a person far from ornithology will ask a completely logical question. In the spring, nomadic birds return to where they came from. After all, you need to hurry, because egg laying begins in April. But first you need to build a nest.
It is clear that if a bird does not lead a nomadic lifestyle, then it does not need to fly somewhere, but no one freed it from the responsibility of building a nest. Therefore, in April, bullfinches begin construction in order to lay eggs in a new “dwelling” in May, and in June to observe the first flights of their children. Therefore, the question: “Where do bullfinches fly in the summer?” You don’t have to ask if the bird is sedentary.
As for the nests. As a rule, bullfinches make them from scrap materials: twigs, stems, twigs, and as “insulation” they use: wool, fluff, feathers, moss - in general, wherever they find it. These birds prefer to build nests in dense thickets, at a low altitude: 5 meters is the upper limit. Only the female incubates the eggs. The responsibility of providing food for the family is placed on the shoulders and wings of the male.
What to feed bullfinches in winter?
These are some kind of gourmets. They love berries very much. This largely explains the excessive “red-breastedness” of males (although, one might think, females do not eat this food!). After all, any berries contain a large number of carotene, which affects the color. In addition, bullfinches are not averse to eating buds and seeds. Bunches of rowan and viburnum, sunflower seeds, millet and oats - this is exactly what to feed bullfinches. Yes and from pumpkin seeds and they won’t refuse hawthorn berries either.
And as a result. Winter without a bullfinch is like May without a cuckoo, and June without a nightingale. Unfortunately, these birds are not seen as often as we would like. Of course, everything can be attributed to ecology and natural population decline, but what influences this decline? Yes, a lot of things. One of these unfavorable factors is lack of food. Therefore, the eternal call “feed the birds in winter!” will always be relevant.
Natalya Oganesyan especially for
Bullfinch belongs to the songbirds of the genus Bullfinches, which in turn belongs to the family of finches. The bullfinch is considered a well-known and widespread bird; it is a very noticeable and attractive bird. Photos of bullfinches very often they decorate various New Year cards, calendars, magazines, etc.
Bullfinch bird belongs to the small ones, it is slightly larger in size than a sparrow. The weight of the bullfinch is approximately 30-35 grams, but at the same time its physique is quite dense and strong. The body length of an ordinary bullfinch is about 18 centimeters, and the wingspan reaches 30 centimeters.
The genus of bullfinches is characterized by sexual dimorphism in coloration. The most prominent part of the bird - the breast of females is pink-gray in color, but males have carmine-red feathers on the chest. This is the main feature of bullfinches, which are very easy to recognize among the huge number of bird representatives by their bright plumage on the chest.
The photo shows a male and female bullfinch
The rest of the coloring is basically identical. The bullfinches' head seems to be covered on top with a black cap, which smoothly turns into a small black spot on the chin.
The back of the bird is bluish-gray in color. The wings of bullfinches are quite bright, as they represent a classic combination of colors: black and white, which alternate with stripes along the entire wing.
The undertail and uppertail are colored White color. The bullfinch's beak is wide and thick, it is painted black. The legs of this bird are strong and strong, three-toed with small but sharp and tenacious claws. Like the beak, the legs of the bullfinch are also painted black.
The cheeks, neck, sides and belly are colored in gray-brown tones, the intensity of which depends on the subspecies. The plumage color of chicks and young bullfinches is different; it is more modest and closer to the color of the female than the male.
In addition to the bright special color, this one has another distinctive feature- This is the song of the bullfinch. Its voice cannot be confused with the voice of another bird, although it is quite difficult to describe the sounds produced in verbal form. A more appropriate comparison is a metal creaking or whistling sound.
It is not immediately clear that this sound is made by bullfinches, but they really have such a unique voice and are able to surprise the listener with their special song. Most often, such a trill can be heard in mating season. It is also surprising that both males and females perform it. That's how talented they turn out to be bullfinches birds.
In the photo there are bullfinches in winter
Bullfinches are considered exclusively forest animals. Bullfinches' favorite places to settle are coniferous and mixed forests. The bullfinch is very widespread; it inhabits the entire belt of taiga coniferous forests and Asia, which stretches from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean.
However, it is not uncommon when bullfinches can be seen in parks, in ordinary courtyards of residential buildings, on playgrounds, and sometimes they are even guests in small feeders on windows multi-storey buildings. It turns out that bullfinches are not forest birds at all, and neither are city birds. No, that's not true. Bullfinches just fly in to eat and eat.
Bullfinches in winter very often they are forced to fly into the city limits to get food for themselves. In summer, seeing bullfinches is not an easy task, but in winter, on frosty days, they fluff up their feathers and turn into bright balls that flutter from branch to branch.
Winter background white snow bullfinches on the branches look most impressive and elegant, as if festive balls decorated the trees. Winter bullfinch this is a kind of symbol of snow, frost, snow-covered trees, Have a good mood and holidays.
Bullfinches love rowan berries very much. Usually they fly up to the tree in a flock, and the males, like real gentlemen and experts in good manners, let their ladies choose the juiciest and most delicious bunches of berries.
Bullfinches on a rowan tree spend a few minutes until they are satisfied with the seeds in the berries, because they do not consume the juicy pulp itself. Then the flock will flap its wings again, lightly shake the snow from the tree and fly on.
This unusual behavior is best observed during the migrations that they make to the south - to the Amur basin, Transbaikalia, Central Asia, and North Africa.
Birds usually return back at the end of March - beginning of April. But this does not mean that these birds are migratory, bullfinches wintering birds, they just sometimes move to other habitats.
Rowan is the bullfinch's favorite delicacy.
About the bullfinch we can say that they are quite calm, balanced and unhurried. But at the same time they are quite careful and careful. In the presence of people, bullfinches do not behave very actively, and in most cases they are very wary and cautious; this is mainly due to the females.
But if a person leaves a treat for the birds, they will be very grateful to him and will gladly eat. If buy a bullfinch as a pet, you must definitely keep it in a cool place so that it feels comfortable, since high temperature the bird does not tolerate it.
However, in response to good conditions, the bullfinch can quickly get used to you and become almost tame; it can learn simple melodies and imitate onomatopoeia.
Among our own, in a pack, there are almost never disagreements or open confrontations with each other. Bullfinches live peacefully and quite amicably. If aggression occurs, it is mainly in females. At the same time, they characteristically knock their beaks and rotate their heads. But this happens quite rarely and only if there is a justified reason.
The mating season among bullfinches makes the male more melodic and sounding more pleasant than usual. They dedicate their songs to their lovely females, who in turn respond with quiet whistling. But pairs in the flock are formed only by March. In any family of these bright birds, complete matriarchy reigns, here the main role falls solely on the lady.
To create their nests, birds often choose spruce forests, while the nest itself is located quite long distance from the ground, no less than 1.5-2 meters and away from the trunk.
Nest weaving is given Special attention, thin branches and dry grass are skillfully woven together with their beak and paws. The bottom of the nest is lined with lichen, dry leaves and animal hair.
With the onset of May, the female lays 4-6 eggs. The eggs are colored blue and have a pattern of brown specks. The offspring are incubated for about 15 days, then the chicks are born.
They are small in size, but at the same time have a heightened sense of hunger. To suppress their appetite, parents work continuously. Every now and then they bring berries, seeds and other food to the nest.
After two weeks, the chicks begin to learn to fly and escape from the parent's nest. But parents still feed their babies. Only one month old new bullfinches ready for independent life and food.
The photo shows a nest of bullfinches
IN wildlife The lifespan of bullfinches can reach 15 years, but birds often do not live to this age. They are very vulnerable to temperature, so due to lack of food in snowy, cold winters they often die.
The main diet of bullfinches is plant food. The animal part of their diet is insignificant; they can eat small insects, but this happens very rarely. They mainly eat the seeds of various conifers and deciduous trees, for the extraction of which they use their strong beak of a special shape.
In addition, they feed on buds, young shoots of plants and the first greenery. IN summer time They can also eat flowers. I don’t mind eating berries, especially bird cherry and rowan. Pictures of bullfinches on the branches of rowan can be considered a traditional image.
In the old days they noticed that if the bullfinch arrived, then winter would soon come. But, oddly enough, in our city bullfinches appear when winter has already arrived, and in February you can open the window and hear a quiet bullfinch whistling.
And it happens like this: you leave the house in the morning - there are unsmiling people around, everyone is in a hurry somewhere, and suddenly your gaze falls on a rowan tree, all the branches of which are covered not only with clusters of berries, but also with beautiful birds in dark caps and with bright breasts, as if they had flown to our world is from a fairyland. These are bullfinches. Most often they sit motionless, as if deliberately letting people admire their beauty.
Most likely, it is in February that birds begin to migrate towards the north, and middle lane lies on their path in the middle of winter.
Common bullfinch , or shrub - Pyrrhula pyrrhula - a small bird from the finch family.
The bullfinch is not much larger than a sparrow, its body length is up to 16-18 cm. The bird weighs 32-34 g.
In winter, bullfinches puff up their thick plumage, making them appear thicker than they actually are.
A nest in the form of a flat bowl is usually built by the female from thin spruce and other dry twigs, blades of grass, roots, moss and lichen. It turns out to be quite loose. The inside of the nest is lined with wool, feathers, hair, and dry thin blades of grass.
The diameter of the nest can reach 2 meters, the height of the nest is 1 meter, the diameter of the tray is also up to 1 meter, and the depth of the tray is 40-60 mm.
The female lays 4-6 eggs in May, light blue in color with dark or red-brown spots, dots and lines.
Only the female incubates for about two weeks. The male guards the nest all this time and feeds the female.
Then the hatched chicks spend another two to three weeks in the nest.
Both parents feed them, but most of the care for the growing offspring goes to the male.
The main food of little bullfinches is plant-based, these are unripe small seeds, soft buds, etc., but their parents also feed them insect larvae.
The chicks that fly out of the nest are fed by their parents from the crop for some time.
A pair of bullfinches usually has two clutches during the summer.
At the end of July - beginning of August, bullfinches begin molting, which lasts until mid-September. In its process, young males acquire the bright plumage of adult birds.
After molting, bullfinches gather in small flocks, often birds from the same family. In October they begin to migrate south and stay together until the end of winter.
The bullfinch is believed to bring wealth and happiness.
There is also a bullfinch museum. Unfortunately, it is so far the only one in the world and was opened in the Moscow region in the holiday village of Snegiri in August 2007.
The museum is very popular; next to it is the Snegiri holiday home, as well as dachas and cottages.
They say that the place there is very beautiful - dense coniferous forests, in which bullfinches live, flying to the village for the winter and coloring the snowy white landscape with bright red shades of dawn.
And everyone who admires this bird for even a day will be happy and successful in love and business all year.
If you can’t go to this wonderful place, and you can’t see bullfinches on the streets of the city, then you can hang embroidery, a drawing in your house, or put a figurine of a bullfinch in the living room, and he will certainly look into your house.
V. TRETYAKOV, biologist
For lovers of cage-keeping birds, the bullfinch has been considered one of the best pets since time immemorial. This unpretentious, calm and trusting beauty belongs to those species of birds that perceive life in a cage as a continuation of their free existence, and not as captivity, full of oppression and stress. The indoor bullfinch sees its well-wishers in people. And if our hobbyists preferred to breed bullfinches on their own rather than purchase them from bird catchers, then the bullfinch would eventually take its rightful place among such domesticated birds as parrots and canaries.
The common bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) is familiar to many people from childhood. These elegant birds, which fly into cities and towns during autumn-winter migrations, attract the attention of every observant person. They usually feed on the branches of fruiting rowan trees, ash trees and maples, whistling in quiet, sleepy voices, enlivening and decorating winter city squares and parks with their presence. In summer, during the nesting period, on the contrary, they behave secretly. They nest in a vast area of taiga, mixed and deciduous forests of Eurasia, as well as in the Carpathians, the Caucasus, steppe forests of Kazakhstan, Asia Minor, northwestern Iran, China and the Korean Peninsula. Eight or nine subspecies common bullfinch distributed from the Azores and British Islands in the west to Kamchatka, Sakhalin, the Kuril and Japanese Islands in the east. Moreover, the island subspecies are almost a third smaller in size than the Eastern European bullfinch that is familiar to us. Some ornithologists classify them as a separate species.
The Eastern European bullfinch weighs 32-34 grams. The plumage is soft, long and dense. The body length is 15-19 centimeters, of which the tail accounts for 6.8-7.2 centimeters. The beak is short and thick, black. The top of the head and the plumage around the beak, the wings and tail are black, with a metallic tint, the transverse stripe on the wing, the rump and undertail are white. The male's back is bluish-gray, and the lower part of the body is bright red, with a faint brick tint; the female's back is brownish-gray, the lower part of the body is brownish-gray with a faint pinkish tint. Red and gray colors the Kamchatka bullfinch is noticeably paler than the Eastern European bullfinch, while the Caucasian bullfinch, on the contrary, is deeper. The Kamchatka subspecies is larger than the Eastern European one, and the Caucasian subspecies is slightly smaller, with a more swollen and massive beak. Bullfinches from the Caucasus eat large quantities of sea buckthorn and mistletoe seeds in winter: this is what a strong beak is for.
The Ussuri and Kuril subspecies are the smallest. These birds weigh 25-28 grams.
A species closely related to the common bullfinch - the gray bullfinch (Pyrrhula cineracea) breeds in the south and east of Siberia and in Far East, migrates to the Urals in winter. In males, the lower part of the body, like the back, is gray. The female is similar in color to the female bullfinch, but the latter has one red feather among the secondary flight feathers of each wing. The white stripe on the wing of the gray bullfinch is grayish. During winter migrations, these birds occasionally fly into the Moscow region.
One day, on the third Sunday in August, at the Moscow Bird Market, I noticed a couple of strange birds in a row of canaries. And only when I got closer, I realized that these were young bullfinch males! Even duller and more inconspicuous than females, with a distinct brownish-brown tint of plumage, without a black “cap” on the head. Individual red feathers could be seen on the chest. The feather needles of the future “cap” appeared on the forehead. Bullfinches with the familiar “adult” appearance will appear on the market in September.
Every year in the last days of September, guided by sonorous melancholic whistles, I meet in the park of the city of Mytishchi and in national park Elk Island is the very first, small for now, flock of our lovely winter guests. In summer it is difficult to see them among the foliage in the treetops. The birds will become clearly visible after the leaves fall, during bad weather in October, and in winter they will be seen every now and then until they leave the thawed suburban groves and go to their native coniferous forests. I saw the last bullfinches in the park until mid-May.
Russian popular name"Bullfinch" (and Belarusian "Snyagur") suggests that this bird becomes noticeable after snow falls. Other names - “gil”, “gil” (Polish) and “hil” (Czech) - imitate the bullfinch’s call sign, the beautiful “fue! phew! hii...” But the singing of these birds is unattractive, inharmonious and incoherent, consisting of short whistles, alternating with creaks, hissing and low screams. However, it cannot be called unpleasant. Females also sing, but their singing is shorter and more meager. Some bullfinches include in their repertoire the whistling sounds of the songs of other birds, such as thrushes. The tendency to onomatopoeia is especially pronounced in a young bullfinch living in a cage, with whom its owner deals a lot, often and purposefully.
In the 19th century, Russian and European bird lovers paid great attention to the art of teaching bullfinches to sing. The masters of this craft took the fledgling chicks from the nests and, feeding them until they were completely independent, immediately began to work with them. Young
Bullfinches were taught to imitate the singing of canaries, the sounds of special pipes and pipes, and even melodic human whistling. Trained birds were highly valued. Unfortunately, these traditions have been lost, and today bullfinches are kept only as ornamental birds with an accommodating character and a quiet, funny song.
IN good conditions bullfinches live in cages for ten years, which is noticeably longer than their life expectancy in nature. A newly captured bullfinch is afraid of humans and fights violently in the cage. Therefore, it has to be covered with a light, light-colored cloth so that the bird can feed in peace. After seven days, the new settler gets used to the situation and the fabric can be removed. As a rule, these are the bullfinches that go on sale. If the owner, while caring for his pet and communicating with him, picks up the bullfinch in exceptional cases and does not make sudden movements, the bird can be tamed and, over time, taught to sit on a finger and palm, fly around the room and return to its cage. You need to work with the bird at a time when it is a little hungry and is waiting to be fed.
When kept in cages, calm, phlegmatic bullfinches are prone to obesity, so they need a spacious room. I kept my pair of bullfinches in a cage 60 centimeters long, 30 wide and 50 centimeters high. The female is very "grumpy". At first, she often attacks the male with a creaking hiss, opening her beak wide, driving him away from the feeder. The male cannot fight back and always flies away. This continues until the birds get used to each other. It is best to initially keep purchased bullfinches (in autumn and winter) in separate cages standing nearby, and in March release the female into the male’s “territory”.
The male bullfinch that I bought at the market began to take seeds from my palm after just 17 days. He lived in his cage, standing near his desk. In the summer I placed him on the balcony. After just 6 days the bird was so wild that it seemed like it had just been caught...
Market traders feed bullfinches only sunflower seeds, but this food cannot in any way be considered the main food. Indoor bullfinches eagerly eat a grain mixture for canaries, which is sold in pet stores and consists of rapeseed, millet, hemp, flaxseed and white canary seed. The bullfinch is unpretentious in food, unlike its relatives - the goldfinch, siskin, linnet and redpoll, which are able to feed only on pre-crushed sunflower and hemp grains, and from a portion of the canary grain mixture they can peck only a small part of the grains, “rejecting” the rest at first sight. The bullfinch “husks” ash and Tatarian maple lionfish, oatmeal and oats. It can also be fed with quinoa and horse sorrel seeds, grated carrots and slices of fresh ripe apple, chickweed and tradescantia greens, linden, willow and cherry buds (the branches are woven into the cage lattice), finely chopped boiled egg. There should always be clean sand and crushed eggshells in a separate container, and in the drinking bowl and bathing bowl - pure water. And, of course, don’t forget about ripe rowan berries (bullfinches eat only the seeds from them, and discard the peel and pulp).
Russian bird lovers received offspring from bullfinches both in aviaries (indoor and outdoor) and in cages, optimal sizes which are 60-70 x 50-60 x 50-60 centimeters. For birds to reproduce successfully, they must be healthy. In addition, they need to be properly maintained and fed, and the natural length of daylight hours must not be disrupted. All birds are very sensitive to changes in the length of daylight hours throughout the year. It is the reduction in daylight hours in winter and its increase in spring that encourages birds to nest again. Therefore, it is best to breed bullfinches in glass loggia or in a room without curtains, in a cage located against the wall near the window (bullfinches do not like direct sun rays and heat). Ideally, the owner should appear in the room only for brief observations and care of the pets. Even before breeding begins, birds should be accustomed to feeding at the same time, in the morning and afternoon. A cage with nested bullfinches must be cleaned with the utmost care. Critical periods when cleaning should be done as little as possible are the laying and incubation of eggs and the first week of life of the chicks. At dusk during the nesting period, any disturbance of the birds (especially at the beginning of incubation), even a simple approach to the nest, is undesirable.
If it is not possible to breed birds in non-residential premises, the cage with bullfinches is placed on the windowsill (it’s good if it is wide enough), half covering it with plywood or cardboard from above and from the side of the window. A curtain protects the birds from the room. Over the course of autumn, winter and spring, bullfinches will get used to their owner and the care regime. If you purchase birds in January-March, they will not breed at first and will nest only in the next season.
In April, sprouted wheat and millet, egg feed with the addition of calcium glycerophosphate, willow and linden branches with buds are introduced into the birds' diet. An ordinary canary nest is firmly fixed on a perch (a branch with a fork) in the quietest corner of the cage. Indoor bullfinches do not line this nesting base with anything, ignoring the blades of grass offered to them, and, as a rule, do not dare to lay eggs in a canary “basket” for a long time. At first they are worried, but still engage in mating games. Finally nature takes its course and the first egg appears in June. In enclosures such difficulties usually do not arise.
The mating ritual of bullfinches is interesting. The male makes funny bows to the female, feeds her and makes characteristic moaning whistles. The female with fluttering wings stands in front of the male, like a chick begging for food.
The clutch usually contains from 3 to 7 eggs, greenish with brown specks. The chicks are reddish-crimson, with a thick dark downy coat. Incubation of the clutch lasts 14 days, and on the 15-16th day after hatching, the chicks begin to leave the nest. After two weeks they will become independent and should be removed. At this time, the male continues to mating, and eggs of the second clutch may appear in the nest.
In broods of bullfinches, there are noticeably more males than females. During the period of feeding the chicks, bullfinches are given egg food made from grated boiled chicken eggs and carrots and sprinkled with white cracker crumbs. On the 9th day, mealworms (10-15 pieces), greens, and a little thick milk millet porridge are added to the diet. During the molting period, chicks need rowan berries, apples and greens.
The only serious (and most unpleasant) problem for a fancier may be the purchase of sick birds that have become infected with some infectious disease in the wild and are doomed to death. You should purchase only the most active and mobile bullfinches with the plumage tightly pressed to the body and the tips of the wings gathered at the lower back. Such a bird constantly looks around, its head is raised. An unhealthy bullfinch is inactive, looks too fluffy and round, its head is pulled into its shoulders, the tips of its wings diverge to the sides, and sometimes it falls into a doze. If possible, you should catch the bird yourself and hold it in your hand. They choose a bullfinch with a dense body, tight to the touch, which flutters violently in the palm of your hand and emits an alarming cry. A light, bony body (with a sharp pectoral keel), as if drowned in thick plumage, is a sign of exhaustion and possible illness. Such a bird has little resistance to capture and is most likely doomed. In general, the bullfinch is one of the most unpretentious and easy-going indoor birds.
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