One of the 3 bullfinches on WAnimals
Birds · Passeriformes · Fringillidae
Trumpeter Finch
Bucanetes githagineus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
A small, stocky finch with a large head and long wings, and a short, thick pinkish-orange bill perfectly suited to cracking hard seeds. The plumage is a uniform grey in both sexes outside the breeding season; in spring adult males take on orange or pink tones on the bill, wings, tail and belly.
Weight
22 g on average
Size
12 cm on average
Lifespan
2 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Estimated population
21,300-44,000 individuals according to the 2021 European Red List of Birds, all of them in Spain
Fun facts
- The only European populations of this species are in Spain, and very little is known about how they behave.
- Its name comes from its song: a strident note of metallic timbre reminiscent of a toy trumpet, quite unlike the song of any other bird.
- Its recent spread northwards along the Mediterranean coast is put down to climate change creating new arid environments that suit it.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Open, desert and semi-desert country of warm, dry climate: arid areas on rocky soils, steppe, ravines and even inhabited places. It nests in small holes in cliffs and along the sides of ravines
- Birth weight
- Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
- Size at birth
- Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
- Sexual maturity
- 1 year
- Gestation / incubation
- About two weeks. The chicks leave the nest two weeks after hatching
- Litter / clutch size
- 4-6 eggs in spring
Sources consulted: IUCN Red List; SEO/BirdLife (ficha y III Atlas: Barrientos 2022); Lista Roja Europea de Aves 2021; Carrillo 2007 (tesis doctoral, Universidad de Almería); Pérez-Contreras y Fernández-Ordóñez 2006, Acta Granatense 4; Ruiz y López 2015, Quercus 354; López-Iborra et al. 2006; Oiseaux.net; Lichtenstein 1823
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: Spring, when the males take on their orange plumage and sing; it is resident but very mobile outside the breeding season
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 19 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Trumpeter Finch — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Sinai Rosefinch
Carpodacus synoicus
European Serin
Serinus serinus
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra
Atlantic Canary
Serinus canaria
Common Linnet
Linaria cannabina
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about trumpeter finch.
Comments
Share an experience, a fun fact or a tip for seeing the trumpeter finch.
Be the first to comment.