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Hawfinch

Hawfinch

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

Identify the Hawfinch by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.

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The Hawfinch is a stout, big-headed finch of Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia, famous for its massive, conical bill that can crack cherry stones. An unobtrusive bird of the woodland canopy, it has warm orange-brown plumage, a black mask and bib, a grey nape and white wing bars and tail tip that flash in flight. Most European birds are resident, while many Asian birds move south in winter. It is the only species in its genus.

Did you know?

  • Its bill can exert a force of about 50 kg to crack cherry stones.
  • The bill changes colour seasonally, from horn-coloured in winter to lead-grey in summer.

Voice

Song
Flight call

About the species

Identification

A stocky, bull-necked finch with an exceptionally large, heavy bill. The head has warm brown tones and the nape is grey; the wings are dark, and in flight clear white wing bars and pale tail markings stand out. It flies in deep undulations and looks short-tailed and front-heavy because of the big bill. The bill is horn-coloured in winter and steel-blue in summer.

Family

Fringillidae

Size

Medium (thrush)

Colours

brown, black, grey, white, blue

About the habitat

Mature deciduous and mixed woodland with large trees, especially hornbeam and beech, as well as parks, large gardens, orchards and cemeteries.

Diet

Mainly hard seeds and kernels of stone fruits such as cherry, as well as hornbeam, beech and maple seeds; also buds and shoots, and insects, especially for the nestlings.

Behaviour

Shy and retiring, spending much time high in the canopy, but also feeds on the ground. Usually seen in pairs or small groups. The call is a hard, metallic “tsick”, and the song a soft, stammering warble. Flight is strong and bounding. It nests in trees or tall bushes.

Sources

Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) male Drenthe.jpg

Sound: Alexander Kurthy, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coccothraustes_coccothraustes_-_Hawfinch_XC107638.mp3

Sound: Benoît Van Hecke, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coccothraustes_coccothraustes_-_Hawfinch_XC541308.mp3

Text: Wikipedia (English) + FinBIF species descriptions, CC BY-SA 4.0; FinBIF: CC BY 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawfinch

See also