Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Length 14-16cm

An attractive but unobtrusive resident throughout much of mainland Britain and Ireland. Often encountered in pairs. Easy to overlook in the dense cover it favours until its soft but distinctive, piping call is learnt. Male has rosy-pink face and breast, the colour unlike that of any other British bird; also shows black cap and blue-grey back. Female similar but with duller colours. Both sexes have characteristic white rump, seen as bird flies away. Found in woodland scrub, hedgerows and mature gardens. Uses stubby bill to feed on insects, seeds and berries; in spring, visits orchards to eat flower buds of fruit trees.