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Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
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
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