Winter is the time of bullfinches. When the trees dress up in snow clothes, it is impossible not to notice the bright feathers of the bullfinch against the background of snow-white hoarfrost. Illuminated by the winter sun, these birds seem to be overseas flowers that accidentally fell into our frosts.
Plumage
A very easily recognizable bird arrives in winter - the bullfinch. It is not difficult to describe it, since it has very characteristic features of plumage, by which everyone recognizes it. In any case, the male of this feathered one. Since the colors of the male and female bullfinch are very different. The description of a bullfinch for children is somewhat different from the same words for adults. It is enough for a child to say that this is a small bird, a little larger than a sparrow, with a red breast and flying to human habitation only in winter. An adult will have to give a more detailed answer.
So, the male bullfinch has a red chest, cheeks and neck. The color is very bright, even over the entire staining area. The back is gray-blue, while the tail and rump are white. Because the bird's head is black, it looks like it's wearingblack cap. This color takes place both on the neck and around the beak. At the same time, the border between red and black is very clear, noticeable from afar. The tail and wings are black, only the wings have slightly whitish stripes. The beak is thick, wide, black in color - it is designed to get the seed of various berries.
The female bullfinch, whose description is somewhat different from the description of the male, generally has a similar color to him, except for one, the brightest, detail - her breast is not bright red, but grayish-brown.
Interestingly, the coloration of young birds of the bird, which has the name "bullfinch". The description of the bird for children and adults would be incomplete if not to add that the young of this bird before its first molt has a dark brown color. And only in autumn, having completely changed feathers, the baby becomes indistinguishable from the adult part of the flock.
Now, if you happen to meet a brood of a bullfinch bird, the description will make it possible to immediately recognize which of them is who.
They have a stocky, dense build. In winter, in the very frosts, they try to fluff their feathers harder, which is why they can even seem fat. The length of the bird reaches 18 centimeters. Her temperament is very different from, for example, siskin or tap dance. The bullfinch, whose description gives hope for a cheerful disposition, is actually quite phlegmatic, extremely quarrelsome and inactive. Females are especially scandalous. Despite the fact that in winter and autumn the birds try to stay in flocks, they constantly quarrel. And in all casesit is the females who start the scandal, who have complete power over the males. Fighting is a rare thing among lazy birds, but opening your beak and hissing menacingly at your opponent is a sweet thing.
Habitats
The description of the bullfinch for children must be supplemented with information about the place of residence of this bird.
So, it is distributed almost throughout Eurasia, excluding its southernmost and northern regions. In a temperate climate, bullfinches most often live settled or fly away near the main nesting site. Those who live in more northern areas migrate closer to the south for the winter.
In our country, the bird is most widespread in the forest zone, excluding the southern part of the Far East. In summer, birds live in the forest, sometimes choosing light forests along the edge of clearings for their nests. Given their habit of hiding, they are difficult to spot during the warmer months.
In winter, they migrate far south, as the description says. The bullfinch flies to Transbaikalia, Central Asia, to the Crimea, to the Amur basin and can even reach the north of Africa. During the period of nomadism, it stops in parks and gardens of cities and rural settlements. In the opposite direction, to the native nest, the flocks move during March and April.
Settlements
Where does the bullfinch live? The description of a bird for children cannot be considered complete if one does not mention the favorite places for this bird to live - dense forests and light forests. Bullfinches prefer to build nests on coniferous trees, more often - spruces. The most common houses of bullfinches at a height of2 to 5 meters. Nest material - moss, thin twigs, sometimes animal hair. The inside is lined with feathers, hair and dry grass. The appearance of the structure is loose and flat.
Food
The bullfinch, the photo and description of which can be found in this article, eats very diversely. The diet of this bird is entirely of vegetable origin. So, bullfinches are happy to use the buds, seeds and berries of various plants. They cannot indifferently pass by the seeds of ash, maple, linden, birch or alder. The wide beak is specially designed for peeling seeds from fruits of any shape and type. The bullfinches themselves do not eat the berries, they simply crush them, take out the seeds and enjoy them with pleasure.
Chicks
In April, the bullfinch prefers to hatch chicks. The description of the bird cannot be complete without a description of this process.
In laying most often up to five eggs. They are blue-green in color with dark spots. Chicks develop in 14 days, the same amount is required to feed the chicks. It is not exactly established whether the male is involved in incubation, but it is his direct responsibility to feed the female sitting on the eggs. After the chicks leave the nest, they are mostly taken care of by the male. Surprisingly, it was not possible to find a brood of chicks with a mother, while a family of several fledglings headed by a male is a common thing. They feed the chicks with vegetable food.
These birds nest once a summer, already by Julyforming flocks. Young chicks spend their entire first year with their parents.
Bullfinch at home
Oddly enough, the bullfinch gets used to a person very easily. He can memorize simple melodies by whistling them in his free time.
The cage with the bird must be kept cool, because not only the heat, but even the heat of the bullfinch will not survive.
You need to feed in the same way as a bird eats in nature - seeds of grasses, shrubs and trees. Be sure to include berries in the diet so that the plumage does not change color due to beriberi.
