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24

Brambling

(Fringilla montifringilla)
Alternate name(s): "Mountain Finch", "Cock o' the North"
German name(s): "Bergfink", "Nordfink", "Brämling"

Size: 14-16 cm
Weight: 17-30 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Brambling at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

MALE

BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a male Brambling in breeding plumage; note the black head and bill - the greyish parts may indicate that it is starting to moult into its non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Brambling moulting into breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, February 2020]

NON-BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a Brambling in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2020]

Near-frontal view of a Brambling in non-breeding plumage with its crest erected (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2020]

Near-lateral view of a Brambling in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2020]

Lateral view of a Brambling in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2020]

Lateral view of a Brambling in non-breeding plumage with its crest erected (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2020]

Lateral view of a male Brambling in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Vlasina Lake, Serbia, October 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Brambling in non-breeding plumage; note the scalloping on the back and the grey around the nape of the neck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

FEMALE

NON-BREEDING

Frontal view of a female Brambling in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2020]

Lateral view of a female Brambling in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2020]

Lateral view of a female Brambling in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Vlasina Lake, Serbia, October 2019]

PAIR

NON-BREEDING

Lateral view of a pair of Bramblings in non-breeding plumage, male in front (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, November 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a juveile(?) Brambling; note the spots on the lower flanks, which identify the species, but the dark bill and greyish head, which are inconsistent with a female (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2020]

Behaviour

In some years Bramblings form enormous flocks, with numbers ranging in the millions reported e.g. in 2009.

Food, Diet

Distant view of Bramblings in a mixed flock of sparrows and finches feeding in a fallow irrigated peanut field; male in non-breeding plumage on the left, female on the right [with the off-white front] (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, January 2019]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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