Bird guide · Fringilla coelebs
Chaffinch
What the chaffinch eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from across the UK.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 5.7 in (14.5 cm)
- Eats
- sunflower hearts
- Feeds
- ground, tray/platform
- Most common
- Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales
Food
What do chaffinches eat?
At feeders, chaffinches take sunflower hearts.
Shy at feeders; prefers to hop about under the bird table or hedge.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do chaffinches live?
One of the most widespread birds, in woods, hedgerows, fields, parks and gardens. By share of all bird sightings, chaffinches are most common in Northern Ireland (2.3%).
Nations where chaffinches are most common
- Northern Ireland2.3%
- Scotland2.0%
- Wales1.7%
- England1.5%
Share of all bird sightings in each nation that are chaffinches, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the chaffinch migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the UK it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in March.
Share of all bird sightings in the UK that are chaffinches, by month.
Identification
How to identify the chaffinch
Male: Blue-grey cap and rust-red underparts, two white wing bars and white sides to the tail.
Female: Much duller, but with the same white wing bars and tail sides.
Young birds: Resembles female.
Size: 5.7 in (14.5 cm)
Easily confused with
- Brambling – orange breast and white rump
On camera
Getting the chaffinch on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Chaffinch: questions
What do chaffinches eat?
At feeders, sunflower hearts.
Do chaffinches migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the UK it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in March.
Where do chaffinches live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England.
What does a female chaffinch look like?
Much duller, but with the same white wing bars and tail sides.
More birds