Birds / Finches

Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Also known as Common chaffinch

Common All year Woodland Gardens Farmland

Test yourself

Recording: Patrik Åberg / xeno-canto

Sounds like

A cheerful, accelerating run of notes that tumbles down and ends in a flourish, repeated over and over. Call: a loud 'pink'.

Remember it

A bowler running in and delivering the ball: the notes speed up, then fling out a final 'cheweeoo'.

When and where

Listening for the chaffinch

Heard: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Feb to Jul
Time of day: Dawn and Day
Where: Woodland, Gardens, Farmland
In Britain: All year
Family: Finches

Side by side

Often confused with

Play them one after the other and listen for the difference.

Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

JFMAMJJASOND

A bowler running in and delivering the ball: the notes speed up, then fling out a final 'cheweeoo'.

Willow Warbler

Phylloscopus trochilus

JFMAMJJASOND

A wistful sigh down the scale. Looks almost identical to a chiffchaff, but sounds nothing like one.

Yellowhammer

Emberiza citrinella

JFMAMJJASOND

'A little bit of bread and no cheeeese.'

Could you pick out a chaffinch?

Hear a song, choose from four birds, and build your streak.

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Same habitat

Also in woodland

See all

Blackbird

Turdus merula

JFMAMJJASOND

Slow, rich, fluting phrases that wander about and often trail off into a quiet chuckle.

Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

JFMAMJJASOND

Two or three thin, high notes followed by a fast, shimmering trill: 'tsee-tsee-tsuhuhuhu'.

Coal Tit

Periparus ater

JFMAMJJASOND

A fast, high, two-note phrase repeated several times: 'pitchoo-pitchoo-pitchoo'.

Dunnock

Prunella modularis

JFMAMJJASOND

A hurried, flat, squeaky warble that stays on one level and stops abruptly, like a squeaky wheel turning.