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Hawfinch

Coccothraustes coccothraustesOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Finches (Fringillidae)
Codes: Common Name: HAWF Scientific Name: COCCOT ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179170
Least Concern
 
Hawfinch
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Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
Jelly Jar Jelly Feeder
The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
Attract Orioles with Fruit
Sliced orange secures easily to the center of the ring. Low cost.
Attract with Nectar
Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
Charm and Attraction
Lovely copper umbrella keeps fruit cool and looks great.

Overview

Hawfinch: Stocky finch with a huge blue-gray conical bill that turns yellow in winter. Yellow-buff head, black chin, throat and mask, pink-buff underparts, dark red- brown upperparts, gray neck and white tipped brown tail. Eats large tree seeds, also eats fruits and insects. Swift bounding flight.

Range and Habitat

Hawfinch: Native of Europe and Asia and accidental in Alaska. Prefers forested areas.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Voice Text

"ptik", "chick", "tick"

Interesting Facts

 As the closest living relatives of the Hawfinch are the Evening and the Hooded Grosbeak, it is sometimes called the European Grosbeak.

 Their shy and retiring habits and lack of conspicuous song make it possible for people to live for years without discovering the presence of hawfinches.

 They have an unexplained habit of breeding in the same locality before disappearing and then returning after a few years. Such erratic behaviour results in few conclusions about population trends.

 A group of finches has many collective nouns, including a "charm", "company", and "trembling" of finches.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Jane Wright

Artist

Samira Belous

Splitbar
Range Map for Hawfinch

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Family Finches (Fringillidae)
Species Coccothraustes coccothraustes
Length7 Inches
Wingspan13 Inches

Hawfinch

Hawfinch: Stocky finch with a huge blue-gray conical bill that turns yellow in winter. Yellow-buff head, black chin, throat and mask, pink-buff underparts, dark red- brown upperparts, gray neck and white tipped brown tail. Eats large tree seeds, also eats fruits and insects. Swift bounding flight.

● Song: "ptik", "chick", "tick"

● Foraging & Feeding: Hawfinch: Eats mainly seeds and fruit kernels, especially cherries. Forages on ground and in canopies of trees.

● Breeding & nesting: Hawfinch: Prefers wooded areas with large trees. Lays three to seven green eggs with black brown marks at larger end, in a nest of sticks, lichen and twigs lined with hair and rootlets, built in a tree or bush.

● Similar species:

Flight Pattern

Swift bounding flight on rapidly beating wings alternating with brief periods of wings pulled to sides.
Hawfinch Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Hawfinch: Native of Europe and Asia and accidental in Alaska. Prefers forested areas.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationRare to casual, Rare in North America
MigrationMigratory
Weight1.9 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
ChinX
The area of the face just below the bill.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX