Spotting Eurasian Bullfinch or Common Chaffinch is very common if you are living in Europe or Asia. However, you may get confused between these birds because of the similarity that they share.
Eurasian Bullfinch and Common Chaffinch are two birds that belong to the finch family. They are abundant throughout most parts of Europe and Asia.
They both share the same habitat and are often seen together near the bird feeders.
So, how to make a correct comparison between these two birds? An easy comparison can be made between these two birds if a person knows everything about these birds.
And In this article, I’ve explained all the details about these two birds which can be used for making comparisons.
Eurasian Bullfinch VS Common Chaffinch: Difference Table
| Basis | Eurasian Bullfinch | Common Chaffinch |
| Size | 14.5 cm to 16.5 cm | 14.5 cm |
| Weight | 21g to 27g (0.7 -0.9oz) | 18g to 29g (0.6-1oz) |
| Shape | Bills are broader and rounder shape and less pointy | Bills are conical and grey or darkish in color, straighter and pointier |
| Wingspan | 22cm to 26cm | 25.5cm to 28.5cm |
| Songs and calls | Peu or teu teu | Chip chip, cherry-erry tissi cheweeeoo, tell tell |
| Habitat | Woodlands, hedgerows, gardens, towns, village, and cities | Woodlands, gardens, villages, cities, towns, and hedgerows |
| Color and Variations | Plumage have solid blocks of color. Males have vibrant pinkish-red breasts while females have grey plumage. Even dark black patch on the entire head | with Lightish grey or buff-colored heads. Detailed white color on the wings. |
Eurasian Bullfinch or Common Chaffinch: Size and Shape
The size of both the birds is almost similar. However, the bullfinch is bigger than the common chaffinches.
The Eurasian Bullfinch is of the length of 14.5 cm to 16.5 cm. The weight of these birds is between 21g to 27g (0.7 -0.9oz). The wingspan of these birds is between 22 cm to 26 cm.
On the other hand, the Common Chaffinch is 14.5 cm in length. The weight of these chaffinches is between 18g to 29g (0.6-1oz).
While the wingspan of this bird is 25.5 cm to 28.5 cm. Chaffinches have a greater wingspan as compared to bullfinch but in length, bullfinch is bigger.
When it comes to making comparisons on the basis of shape, the shape of the beaks of these birds also constitutes a difference.
The beak shape of the chaffinches has beaks similar to that of seed-eating finches. Their bills are conical and dark or grey in color. Their beaks are also straighter and pointier as compared to bullfinches.
The bill of the bullfinches is broader and has a rounder shape and is less pointy than the bill of a chaffinch.
Eurasian Bullfinch or Common Chaffinch: Color and Variations
The bullfinch and chaffinch are often misidentified because of the similarity in their size and color. But if analyzed closely, both these birds vary in colors, especially in terms of plumage.
The plumage of bullfinches has solid blocks of colors. However, it varies as per the subspecies. Among the male bullfinches, they have vibrant pinkish-red breasts. While the females have mostly grey plumages.
While on the other hand, the chaffinch has lighter plumage than the bullfinch. Bullfinches and chaffinches can also be differentiated based on their head color.
The chaffinches have either lightish grey or buff-colored heads that don’t usually get extended under the eye.
While the bullfinches have a dark black patch that covers the entire head and gets extended to underneath the eye.
Another difference can be made based on the color of the wings of these birds. The common chaffinches have white detailing on their wings which stand out.
But it is missing among bullfinches. Bullfinches have more grey detailing on their black wings.
Eurasian Bullfinch or Common Chaffinch: Habitat
When it comes to the habitat of these birds, both of these birds share the same habitat. Due to this reason, both of these birds are often misidentified.
The habitat of both chaffinches and bullfinches includes gardens, hedgerows, parks, woodlands, cities, villages, and towns.
They both visit the bird feeders and bird tables in gardens often regularly. They are even spotted feeding together.
Eurasian Bullfinch or Common Chaffinch: Songs and Calls
Both the sexes of the bullfinches sing and make calls. However, it is often produced by male bullfinches. These birds have a soft and slow descending peu or teu teu sound. These sounds have varying degrees of emphasis.
But among the chaffinches, the males are the only ones who sing. Their calls are heard between March and July.
The main sound of chaffinches include chip chip chip, tell tell tell, or cherry-erry-erry tissi cheweeeoo. These sounds have a descending rattle of musical notes.
Which bird is more common bullfinch or chaffinch in the UK?
In the UK, it is more common to spot chaffinches compared to bullfinches. There are over 6 million chaffinches in the UK while the population of bullfinches is estimated at around 200,000.
In the UK, both bird species can be spotted across the entire country and even all year round.
Conclusion
Eurasian Bullfinches and Common chaffinches are two birds that share the same habitat and are of almost similar size.
The notable difference between these two birds can be seen in the overall shape of these birds. Their plumage often seems similar but has some differences.
All such differences are covered in this article. Therefore, you can use these points to make an exact difference between bullfinches and chaffinches.
At last, I hope this article may have helped you in some way. Thank You For Reading!
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