Chaffinch
- The Swedish taxonomist Linnaeus noticed the tendency for the all male flocks, giving the bird the Latin name of Fringilla coelebs (coelebs = bachelor).
- In winter all-male chaffinch flocks are not unusual, giving rise to another old country name of bachelor bird.
- Cecil Rhodes, the founder of Rhodesia, introduced chaffinches to South Africa in 1898. They can still be found around the Cape today.
- During the winter migrants from Scandinavia boost Britain's chaffinch population.
- Today the chaffinch is the most widespread and numerous bird in New Zealand.
- Chaffinches were first introduced into New Zealand in 1862, initially becoming established in the Canterbury area.
- Trapping chaffinches for the cage-bird trade was finally outlawed in 1896.
- The chaffinch enjoys a plethora of country names, few of which are used today. Many were derived from the bird's alarm note, hence pink twink, chink chaffey and pinkery.
- It was often thought that sightless birds sang best, so some owners deliberately blinded their birds with hot needles.
- A good singer was worth a lot of money – as much as 50 shillings, a considerable sum in those days.
- Chaffinches have been found to have regional accents, with slight differences in the typical song depending on where in the country the bird lives.
- The Victorians used to hold singing matches between cock chaffinches, with the winner the bird considered to have sung the most phrases in a 15-minute period.
- A singing cock will utter his song five or six times a minute, and up to 3,000 times a day.
- Though the cock's song is a short and simple repetition of notes ending in a flourish, the Victorians greatly valued its ability as a songster, and huge numbers were trapped annually for the cage bird trade.
- The one essential for chaffinches to thrive in gardens is plenty of trees, while oaks are their favourites.
- This is arguably Britain's most adaptable bird, as it can be found from the parks of central London to the birchwoods of northern Scotland.
- Chaffinches were originally woodland birds, but are now just as characteristic of farmland and suburban gardens.
- The correct pronunciation of chaffinch is really charf-finch, as this bird takes its name from the chaff that was used in the nosebags of working horses. The chaffinches fed on the spilt chaff.
- Female chaffinches tend to migrate farther in winter than males.
- Unlike many small passerines, chaffinches usually only have one brood a year, usually rearing four young.
- They are one of the longest-lived of our passerines, hence the relatively low reproduction rate.
