FINCHES

Hawfinch

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Coccothraustes coccothraustes

The Hawfinch is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. Its closest living relatives are the Evening Grosbeak from North America and the Hooded Grosbeak from Central America and Mexico.

Males have a dark brown mantle and pale buff rump. The upperwing shows conspicuous white wing patches. The flight feathers are black, and the blue primaries have flared tips. This fact is unique in Fringillidae, but maybe they are used in courtship displays.
The short tail is buff with terminal white band.
The underparts are pale pinkish brown. Vent and undertail coverts are white.
On the head, crown, nape and cheeks are buff. The head top is darker. Rear and sides of the neck are pale gray. They have a black rounded bib. Lores are black.
The huge bill is triangular. In breeding plumage, it is blue-black, with bluish-grey base. In winter, the bill is horn-colored. Eyes are pinkish-brown. Legs and feet are pink.

Females resemble males but are duller. They have a slaty-gray patch on the secondary feathers. The black bib is slightly smaller than in males.

Juveniles have pale grayish-yellow breast, and the underparts are mottled black. They lack the black bib. Its bill is pale yellowish.
The young male shows some black at the base of the bill. Underparts are darker than in adults.

They have an overall length of 7.1 inches, with a wingspan that ranges from 11 - 13 inches and weighs 46 – 70 grams with the males being on average slightly heavier than the females.

CALL: Their typical call is an explosive “tick”, and also a thin “seep”. While is moving among branches, they utter a short, soft “sib”.
When flying between two trees, they utter “tsik”.
They give an anxious “kiou” when threatened.
We can hear a metallic “tsicc” loud and distinct when flying.

SONGS: A quiet whistling sound interspersed with call notes, rather guttural, without any musical notes “tchi-tchi…ter-ui-ui”.

They feed mainly on seeds from hornbeam and beech and also consume seeds of other plant species. They can take oak buds, and during summer, they catch insects. Due to their massive bills, they are able to break open cherry-stones.

Deciduous and mixed forests, orchards, parks and also the vegetation along the streams.

Breeds throughout Europe and temperate Asia. The European population is usually resident. The Asian birds migrate southwards in winter.

The nest is cup-shaped, made with twigs, grasses and lichens. It is usually placed in fork in deciduous tree, in orchards, woodlands or parks.
The female lays 2 - 7 pale blue or greenish eggs with some black markings. Incubation lasts about 9 - 14 days, by the female.

 

SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.oiseaux-birds.com