Bullfinch: They don’t come to us for the winter! Why do we see these birds only in winter, and where do the birds disappear in summer? (8 photos)

Everyone is happy about the arrival of rooks, the harbingers of spring. But no one will paint a picture about the arrival of bullfinches. After all, with the appearance of these birds in city parks, you understand that winter is closer than ever. But where do they come from? And why do they return to where it will be a complete dud?





Any ornithologist will say that the fact that bullfinches arrive in their native lands for the winter is bullshit! Like all normal birds, in the northernmost regions bullfinches fly south, somewhere to Greece. But in central Eurasia, the birds have settled for permanent residence. But if this is so, where do the birds go when it gets warm?



Let's just say that if you don't see bullfinches, it doesn't mean that they have disappeared. Just as your granny settles in her dacha during the warm season, so bullfinches leave the city and move to nature, to the coniferous forest. By the way, bullfinches actively spoil the blood of gardeners. These birds are big fans of dining on the buds of fruit trees. So bullfinches are not only the harbingers of winter, but also of crop failure. Not a bird, but a complete misfortune!





But with the arrival of cold weather, when there is nothing to catch in the taiga, the birds fly to the cities. There is more food here and the air is warmer. In city canteens, birds fly into berries and apples. They are only interested in seeds—birds do not eat pulp. According to one hypothesis, such a diet made the birds red-breasted. The seeds of the fruit contain carotenoids, which color the feathers of bullfinches in scarlet shades.



But only males can boast of a bright fur coat; for females it is replaced by a modest gray-brown coat. Apparently, in the family relationships of bullfinches, strict patriarchy reigns with monogamy in addition.



The daredevil attracts the lady of his heart with his song. The howling of bullfinches is a separate topic for discussion. During nesting, that is, all summer, the birds are silent like guerrillas, so as not to scorch the location of their nest. But after the parasites fly out, the red-chested ones have a blast. Perhaps their singing would explode modern pop culture: chirping interspersed with squeals, creaks, inarticulate complaints about life and the squeak of a rubber duck.



DO NOT SHOUT AT ME!

Despite the male's questionable vocal skills, they form a pair for life. Bullfinches share with each other all the happiness and sorrows of raising their chicks. Yes, they do it so successfully that from April to August 5-7 chicks emerge from the parent’s nest. The couple manages to lay two clutches a year at once!



While adult bullfinches eat mostly vegan treats, they feed their chicks on a diet of insects.

The life of a young bullfinch is hard and unprepossessing. When you are slightly larger than a sparrow, you don’t have many opportunities in this life. You are not even entitled to a bright fur coat due to your youth - at first, females and males wear the same plumage. Only in the second year of his life did he become aware of gender stereotypes.



So, for 3-4 years of life (this is the shelf life of a bullfinch in the wild), you are provided with a full range of entertainment: from organizing a berry massacre on the nearest rowan tree to provocative yelling and jumping on branches. We hope your life is no less busy.