Eurasian Bullfinch

Rose-red, quiet and easy to miss

Bullfinches are stocky finches with a short, thick black bill and a black cap. The male's breast is a deep rose-red against a blue-grey back. The female is duller, with a greyish-buff breast. When they fly off, both flash a white rump.

They are quiet, rather shy birds of woodland, hedgerows, parks and big gardens, eating seeds, berries and, in spring, the buds of fruit trees. Pairs tend to stay close together all year.

The call is a soft, slightly sad whistle that is easy to overlook. In winter, on a bare branch, a male is hard to overlook.