Common Name |
Hawfinch |
Latin Name |
Coccothraustes coccothraustes |
Average Life |
11 Years |
Average Length |
7 Inches |
Average Weight |
2 oz |
Noise Level & Talking Ability
Song Type: Quiet
Noise Level
Hawfinch’s typical call is an explosive “tick”, and also a thin “seep”. While is moving among branches, it utters a short, soft “sib”. When flying between two trees, it utters “tsik”. If it is threatened, it gives an anxious “kiou”. In flight, we can hear a metallic “tsicc” loud and distinct.
The song is a quiet whistling sound interspersed with call notes, rather guttural, without any musical notes “tchi-tchi…ter-ui-ui”
Hawfinch is the biggest bird of the Fringillidae Family.
This bird has distinctive heavy silhouette with its “huge” bill and head, and short neck and tail.
Physical Features
On the upperparts, the adult male has dark brown mantle and pale buff rump. The upperwing shows conspicuous white wing patches. The flight feathers are black, and the blue primaries have flared tips. This fact is unique in Fringillidae, but maybe they are used in courtship displays.
The short tail is buff with terminal white band.
The underparts are pale pinkish brown. Vent and undertail coverts are white.
On the head, crown, nape and cheeks are buff. The head top is darker. Rear and sides of the neck are pale grey. We can see a black rounded bib. Lores are black.
The huge bill is triangular. In breeding plumage, it is blue-black, with bluish-grey base. In winter, the bill is horn-coloured. Eyes are pinkish-brown. Legs and feet are pink.
Female resembles male, but she is duller. She has slaty-grey patch on the secondary feathers. The black bib is slightly smaller than in male.
Aviary Compatibility
Pet Profile
Training Ability - Not Trainable
Care & Diet
Care:
Hawfinch is shy and secretive, and difficult to see. It is often perched high in trees, hidden among the foliage. If disturbed, the bird flies up to the treetop. It will descend slowly, branch after branch, observing the surroundings.
Diet:
Hawfinch feeds mainly on seeds taken on the ground or directly from the trees. It catches insects during summer, in order to feed its young.
Hawfinch feeds mainly on seeds from hornbeam and beech, but it also consumes seeds of other plant species. It can take oak buds, and during summer, it catches insects. It is able to break open the cherry-stones, thanks to its massive bill
Housing
Breeding Information
Age of Maturity: 12 Months
Breeding Aviculture: Uncommon
Average Clutch Size: 2 - 7
When the breeding season starts, the male sings for attracting a female. If the female accepts, the male starts to display. It fluffs head and breast feathers, bows with dropped wings and fanned tail. The wing dropping allows the male to expose the iridescent deep blue flight feathers.
Female goes towards the male and looks at him with interest. She has sleek body feathers. She hops laterally or takes off, followed by the male which performs deep bowing, in order to display the grey nape, pointing the bill downwards to its belly or legs. Then, male goes towards the female with wings broadly opened. She holds the bill towards him, and the birds end their displays in the same posture, bill to bill, as for a kiss. Male also performs courtship feeding and flight displays above female, chasing her among and around the trees.
Breeding season occurs in late April.
Hawfinch may nest in loose colonies of about six pairs, sometimes up to twenty.
The nest is cup-shaped, made with twigs, grasses and lichens. It is usually placed in fork in deciduous tree, in orchards, woodlands or parks.
Female lays 2 to 7 pale blue or greenish eggs with some black markings. Incubation lasts about 9 to 14 days, by female. Young are fed by both adults with regurgitated insects and seeds. They fledge 10 to 14 days after hatching.
This species may produce one or two broods per season.
Wild Status
Increasing - Least Concern