adult male spring

adult male spring adult female European distribution male on branch

Identification

The adult male is quite unmistakeable with his rich red head and breast but in other plumages Rosefinches just look streaky-brown. Their bodies and especially their bills are too big for them to be confused with Redpolls; in fact they look more like sparrows or buntings but they have a unique combination of streaky underparts, a staring eye in a plain face and two narrow pale wingbars.

Habitat

Breeds in scrubby areas, often near water.

Migration

A migratory bird undertaking long-distance migrations at night to winter from Iran to China. First-year birds tend to disperse further than adults which explains why colonising birds are almost always dull-plumaged (young) males.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Common Rosefinch is classed as Scarce: broadly speaking, species that are covered in British Birds' annual review of scarce species (and forms of similar rarity).

St Marys, Scilly 20/10/2009	Sandwick, Shetland 27/10/2009	St Marys, Scilly 20/10/2009	Norwick, Unst, Shetland 04/10/2009	Norwick, Unst, Shetland 04/10/2009
Norwick, Unst, Shetland 03/10/2009	Norwick, Unst, Shetland 03/10/2009	Thornton, Leics 26/09/2009	Thornton, Leics 26/09/2009	Upper Wisla Valley, Poland 08/07/2009

 View all pictures of Common Rosefinch

Common Rosefinch breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Britain
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Ireland
Latvia
Lithuania
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Romania
Russia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine

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