Warble UK
Hawfinch
Photo: Charles J. Sharp / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Birds / Finches

Hawfinch

Coccothraustes coccothraustes
Tricky All year Woodland
Test yourself

Recording: Patrik Åberg / xeno-canto

Sounds like

A sharp, explosive 'tzik', like a robin's tick but harder. The quiet song is rarely heard.

Remember it

A short metallic click from high in the treetops.

When and where

Listening for the hawfinch

Heard
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mar to Jun
Time of day
Day
Where
Woodland
In Britain
All year
Family
Finches

Side by side

Often confused with

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

Hawfinch

Hawfinch

Coccothraustes coccothraustes
JFMAMJJASOND

A short metallic click from high in the treetops.

Robin

Robin

Erithacus rubecula
JFMAMJJASOND

Sweet but melancholy. A bird singing in the depths of winter is almost always a robin.

Could you pick out a hawfinch?

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

Play the quiz

Same habitat

Also in woodland

See all
Blackbird

Blackbird

Turdus merula
JFMAMJJASOND

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

Blue Tit

Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus
JFMAMJJASOND

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

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs
JFMAMJJASOND

A cheerful, accelerating run of notes that tumbles down and ends in a flourish, repeated over and over.

Coal Tit

Coal Tit

Periparus ater
JFMAMJJASOND

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