Winter is the time of bullfinches. When trees dress up in snowy clothes, against the background of snow-white hoarfrost it is impossible not to notice the bright feathers of a bullfinch. Illuminated by the winter sun, these birds look like overseas flowers that accidentally fell into our frosts.
Plumage
A very easily recognizable bird flies in the winter - a bullfinch. Description of it is not difficult, since it has very characteristic features of plumage, by which everyone recognizes it. In any case, the male of this feathered. Since the coloring of the male and female bullfinch is very different. Description bullfinch for children is somewhat different from the same words for adults. It is enough for a child to say that this is a small bird, a little more than a sparrow, having a red breast and arriving at human dwellings only in the winter. An adult will have to give a more detailed answer.
So, the male bullfinch has a breast, cheeks and a red neck. The color is very bright, even throughout the staining area. The back is gray-blue in color, while the tail and tail are white. Since the bird's head is black, it seems that she put on a black hat. This color takes place both on the neck and around the beak. At the same time, the border between red and black is very clear, noticeable from a distance. The tail and wings are black, only the wings have slightly whitish stripes. The beak is thick, wide, black in color - it is designed to get the seeds of various berries.
The female bullfinch, the description of which is somewhat different from the description of the male, as a whole has a similar color to it except for one, the most striking, detail - its breast is not bright red, but grayish-brown.
Interesting is the coloring of young birds, called the bullfinch. The description of the bird for children and adults would be incomplete if it were not to add that the young growth of this bird has a dark brown color before its first molt. And only in the fall, having completely changed feathers, the baby becomes indistinguishable from the adult part of the flock.
Now, if you happen to meet a brood of bird bullfinch, the description will make it possible to immediately recognize which of them is who.
Addition they are stocky, dense. In winter, in the most cold weather, they try to fluff feathers as much as possible, which makes them even seem fat. The length of the bird reaches 18 centimeters. Her temperament is very different from, for example, siskin or tap dance. The bullfinch, the description of which gives hope for a cheerful disposition, is actually quite phlegmatic, extremely inactive and inactive. Females are especially scandalous. Despite the fact that in winter and autumn, birds try to stay in flocks, they constantly quarrel. And in all cases, it is the females who have full control over the males who are starting a scandal. Fighting is a rare thing among lazy birds, but opening a beak and threateningly hissing at an opponent is a sweet thing.
Habitat
The description of the bullfinch for children must be supplemented with information on the place of residence of this bird.
So, it is distributed practically throughout Eurasia, excluding its southernmost and northernmost regions. In a temperate climate, bullfinches most often live settled or flying away not far from the main nesting ground. Those who live in more northern regions migrate closer to the south for the winter.
In our country, the bird is most widespread in the forest zone, excluding the southern part of the Far East. In the summer, birds live in the forest, sometimes choosing woodlands for nests along the edge of the clearings. Given the habit of stealth, they are difficult to spot in the warm season.
In winter, they migrate far south, as the description goes. The bullfinch flies to Transbaikalia, Central Asia, the Crimea, to the Amur basin and can even reach the north of Africa. During the nomad period, he stops in parks and gardens of cities and rural settlements. In the opposite direction, to the native nesting, flocks move during March and April.
Settlements
Where does the bullfinch live? The description of the bird for children cannot be considered complete unless we mention the favorite places where this bird lives - dense forests and woodlands. They prefer to arrange bullfinch nests on conifers, more often spruce trees. The most commonly found houses are bullfinches at an altitude of 2 to 5 meters. The material for the nest is moss, thin twigs, sometimes animal hair. The inside is lined with feathers, hair and dry grass. The view of the structure is loose and flat.
Nutrition
The bullfinch, a photo and a description of which can be found in this article, eats very varied. The nutrition of this bird is entirely of plant origin. So, bullfinches with pleasure use the buds, seeds and berries of various plants. Ash, maple, linden, birch or alder cannot pass indifferently past the seeds. The wide beak is designed specifically for husking seeds from fruits of any shape and type. Bullfinches do not eat berries themselves, they just crush them, take out the seeds and enjoy themselves with pleasure.
Chicks
In April, the bullfinch prefers to hatch chicks. The description of the bird cannot be complete without a description of this process.
In clutch, most often up to five eggs. The color they have is green-blue, with dark spots. Chicks develop in 14 days, the same amount is required for feeding the chicks. It is not precisely established whether the male is involved in the incubation, but it is his direct duty to feed the female sitting on the eggs. After the chicks fly out of the nest, the male mainly deals with them. Surprisingly, it was not possible to find a brood of chicks with the mother, while a family of several gatherings led by a male is a common thing. Chicks are fed with plant food.
These birds nest once a summer, by July already forming flocks. Young chicks spend the whole first year of their life with their parents.
Bullfinch at home
Oddly enough, the bullfinch very easily gets used to the person. He can memorize simple melodies, whistling them in his free time.
The cage with the bird needs to be kept cool, because not only the heat, but even the bullfinch will not survive the heat.
It is necessary to feed in the same way as a bird eats in nature - seeds of herbs, shrubs and trees. Be sure to include berries in the diet so that the plumage does not change color due to vitamin deficiency.