Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula The Bullfinch is a large, plump finch which feeds on buds and fruit in woodlands, hedgerows, parklands, gardens and orchards. © Bullfinch ©Phil Jackson Beautiful, easy to tame and skilful at mimicry, it was often taken as a cage-bird in times past. Shy and secretive, its melancholy call may be the only indication of its presence in a thicket. Bullfinches usually nest in shrubs, such as hawthorn and blackthorn, making a flimsy nest out of twigs and moss. How to Identify Unmistakeable if seen well: male Bullfinches have a black cap, stubby black bill, grey back, black and white wing, black tail, white rump and rose-red breast. Females are greyish-brown. Where to Find Widespread. How People Can Help Bullfinch numbers decreased significantly over recent decades, but have since been recovering. Changes in agricultural practices, such as the removal of hedgerows, and the loss of woodland habitat, had detrimental effects on this bird, but work by The Wildlife Trusts to promote wildlife-friendly practices and sympathetic woodland management have helped it to survive. You can help too, by providing food and water for garden birds. To find out more about gardening for wildlife, visit our Wild About Gardens website: a joint initiative with the RHS, there’s plenty of facts and tips to get you started. To buy bird food or feeders, visit the Vine House Farm website – an award-winning wildlife-friendly farm which gives 5% of all its takings to The Wildlife Trusts. Did you know? Bullfinches were once considered a serious pest in orchards, so much so that in the 16th century, Henry VIII condemned their ‘criminal attacks’ on fruit trees, and an Act of Parliament declared that one penny would be paid for every bird killed. Key FactsLength: 16cmWingspan: 26cmWeight: 21gAverage Lifespan: 2 years Donate Donate to help support Bullfinches and other wildlife. Donate Similar Species Barn Owl Birds Black-Headed Gull Birds Blackbird Birds Blackcap Birds Blue Tit Birds Buzzard Birds Canada Goose Birds Carrion Crow Birds Chaffinch Birds Chiffchaff Birds Coal Tit Birds Collared Dove Birds Coot Birds Curlew Birds Dipper Birds Dunnock Birds Fieldfare Birds Goldcrest Birds Golden Plover Birds Goldfinch Birds Great Spotted Woodpecker Birds Great Tit Birds Greenfinch Birds Grey Heron Birds Grey Wagtail Birds Hen Harrier Birds Herring Gull Birds House Sparrow Birds Jackdaw Birds Jay Birds Kestrel Birds Kingfisher Birds Lapwing Birds Linnet Birds Little Egret Birds Little Grebe Birds Long-Tailed Tit Birds Magpie Birds Mallard Birds Mandarin Duck Birds Meadow Pipit Birds Mistle Thrush Birds Moorhen Birds Nightjar Birds Nuthatch Birds Peregrine falcon Birds Redwing Birds Robin Birds Siskin Birds Skylark Birds Snipe Birds Song Thrush Birds Sparrowhawk Birds Starling Birds Swallow Birds Swift Birds Tawny owl Birds Tree Sparrow Birds Treecreeper Birds Waxwing Birds Wheatear Birds Whitethroat Birds Willow Warbler Birds Wood Pigeon Birds Wood Warbler Birds Wren Birds