Eurasian bullfinch

File:Pyrrhula pyrrhula griseiventris a2.JPG, Japan, showing considerably more grey in its plumage compared to the nominate subspecies]]

The Eurasian bullfinch was formally described in 1758 by Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Loxia pyrrhula.{{ cite book | editor-last=Paynter | editor-first=Raymond A. Jnr. | year=1968 | title=Check-list of birds of the world, Volume 14 | volume=14 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=296 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14481497 }}{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first= C. | author-link= Carl Linnaeus | year=1758 | title=Systema Naturæ per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Volume 1| volume= v.1 | edition=10th | pages=171–172 | publisher=Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii | language = la | url= https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/727078 }} It is now placed in the genus Pyrrhula that was introduced in 1760 by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson.{{cite book | last=Brissons | first=M.J. | year=1760 | title=Ornithologie, Volume 1 | volume=1 | page=36 | place=Paris | publisher= Chez C.J.-B. Bauche | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36010434 }}{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | date=January 2021 | title=Finches, euphonias | work=IOC World Bird List Version 11.1 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/finches/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | accessdate=10 July 2021 }} The Latin word {{lang|la|pyrrhula}} comes from the Greek {{Lang|grc|πυρρός}} (a flame-coloured bird, from {{lang|grc|πυρρός}} {{gloss|flame-coloured}}, from {{lang|grc|πυρ}} {{gloss|fire}}: Pyrrha), a 'worm eating bird' that is mentioned by Aristotle.{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A. | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling |publisher = Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=[https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n327 327] }} The Latin name {{lang|la|pyrrhula}} for the Eurasian bullfinch had been used in 1555 by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner in his Historiae animalium.{{cite book| last = Gesner | first = Conrad | title = Historiæ animalium liber III qui est de auium natura. Adiecti sunt ab initio indices alphabetici decem super nominibus auium in totidem linguis diuersis: & ante illos enumeratio auium eo ordiné quo in hoc volumine continentur | year = 1555 | publisher = Froschauer | location = Zurich |language = la | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52661583 | pages=701–702}}

Ten subspecies are recognised:

• P. p. pileata MacGillivray, W, 1837 – British Isles
• P. p. pyrrhula (Linnaeus, 1758) – north, south central and east Europe across to central Siberia
• P. p. europaea Vieillot, 1816 – Western Europe
• P. p. iberiae Voous, 1951 – southwest France, northern Iberian Peninsula
• P. p. rossikowi Derjugin & Bianchi, 1900 – northeast Turkey and the Caucasus
• P. p. cineracea Cabanis, 1872 (Baikal bullfinch) – west Siberia and northeast Kazakhstan to east Siberia and northeast China
• P. p. caspica Witherby, 1908 – Azerbaijan and north Iran
• P. p. cassinii Baird, SF, 1869 – east Siberia
• P. p. griseiventris Lafresnaye, 1841 (Grey-bellied bullfinch) – Kuril Islands and north Japan
• P. p. rosacea Seebohm, 1882 – Sakhalin (island north of Japan)

The Azores bullfinch (P. murina), previously regarded as a subspecies of the Eurasian bullfinch, is now recognised as a separate species.{{ cite journal | last1=Sangster | first1=G. | display-authors=etal | year=2011 | title=Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: seventh report | journal=Ibis | volume=153 | issue=4 | pages=883–892 | doi=10.1111/j.1474-919X.2011.01155.x | doi-access= }}

The Eurasian bullfinch is a bulky bull-headed bird. The upper parts are grey; the flight feathers and short thick bill are black; as are the cap and face in adults (they are greyish-brown in juveniles), and the white rump and wing bars are striking in flight. The adult male has a distinctive rich red chest and underparts, but females and young birds have grey-buff feathers instead. It moults between July and October, but males do not have the duller autumn plumage that is typical of some other finches.RSPB Handbook of British Birds (2014). {{ISBN|978-1-4729-0647-2}}. The song of this unobtrusive bird contains fluted whistles, and is often described as "mournful". This bullfinch's usual call is a quiet, low, melancholy whistled {{not a typo|peeu}} or pew. The song is audible only at close range. It is a weak, scratchy warbling, alternating with soft whistles. Tamed bullfinches can be taught to repeat specific melodies.{{Cite web |last=Springer |title=Songbirds turn on and tune up: Bullfinches have the brain power to learn to sing human melodies accurately |url=https://phys.org/news/2013-06-songbirds-tune-bullfinches-brain-power.html |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=phys.org |language=en}}

This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia. It is mainly resident, but many northern birds migrate further south in the winter. Mixed woodland with some conifers is favoured for breeding, including parkland and gardens.

This species does not form large flocks outside the breeding season, and is usually seen as a pair or family group.

It builds its nest in a bush, (preferably more than four metres tall and wide), mature stands of scrub, or tree, laying four to seven pale blue eggs which are mottled with red-brown. It is peculiar among the Passeriformes for having spermatozoa with a rounded head and a blunt acrosome.{{cite journal|author1=Birkhead, Timothy R. |author2=Immler, Simone |author3=Pellatt, E. Jayne |author4=Freckleton, Robert |year=2006|title= Unusual sperm morphology in the Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)|journal=Auk|doi= 10.1642/0004-8038(2006)123[383:USMITE]2.0.CO;2|volume=123|issue=2|pages=383–392|s2cid=85709337 }} This species produces two or three broods per season, from early May to mid-July. Nesting success increases progressively from April–May to June–July and August.{{Cite journal |last=Hernández |first=Ángel |date=2020-10-17 |title=Breeding ecology of Eurasian bullfinches Pyrrhula pyrrhula in an Iberian hedgerow habitat |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00222933.2020.1860263 |journal=Journal of Natural History |language=en |volume=54 |issue=39-40 |pages=2613–2645 |doi=10.1080/00222933.2020.1860263 |issn=0022-2933}}

File:Снегири на ясене (Pyrrhulas - mas, fem).jpg

File:Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) and fruits of wild privet 01(js).webm

File: Male bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) feeding on sunflower seed.webm

Male with young bird in [[Austria|thumb]]

File:Bullfinch-21-07-2008.jpg

File:Pyrrhula pyrrhula europoea Gouvieux 222.jpg]]

File:Pyrrhula pyrrhula pileata MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.222.22.jpg]]

The food is mainly seeds and buds of fruit trees, which can make it a pest in orchards: in England, for centuries every parish paid a bounty for every Eurasian bullfinch killed. Ash and hawthorn are favoured in autumn and early winter.Dyda J, Symes N and Lamacraft D (2009) Woodland management for birds: a guide to managing woodland for priority birds in Wales. The RSPB, Sandy and Forestry Commission Wales, Aberystwyth, {{ISBN|978-1-905601-15-8}} If wild bird cover is planted for it, kale, quinoa and millet are preferred, next to tall hedges or woodland.

{{Reflist}}

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• [http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Pyrrhula-pyrrhula Audio recording from Xeno-canto]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20141202061344/http://aulaenred.ibercaja.es/wp-content/uploads/439_BullfinchPpyrrhula.pdf Ageing and sexing by Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze]
• [http://www.ornithos.de/Ornithos/Feather_Collection/Pyrrhula_pyrrhula/Pyrrhula_pyrrhula.htm Feathers of Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727231449/http://www.ornithos.de/Ornithos/Feather_Collection/Pyrrhula_pyrrhula/Pyrrhula_pyrrhula.htm |date=2014-07-27 }}
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJk3BdTGpIs/The Eurasian Bullfinches Pyrrhula pyrrhula and the ninebark fruits] - video
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViQ7HhMg5CU/ Bullfinches Pyrrhula pyrrhula - Less and less fruit means more and more work] - video

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Category:Articles containing video clips

Category:Birds described in 1758

Category:Birds of Eurasia

Category:Pyrrhula

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus