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Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) Alternate name(s): "Bullfinch", "Common Bullfinch" German name(s): "Gimpel", "Dompfaff", "Blutfink" Size: 15-17 cm; wing span: 22-26 cm Body mass: 21-38 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.26-0.28

Europe: Family Group 24 Family Group 24 Table White Wagtail Western Yellow Wagtail Grey Wagtail Tawny Pipit Berthelot's Pipit Red-throated Pipit Tree Pipit Meadow Pipit Water Pipit Eurasian Rock Pipit Greater Short-toed Lark Calandra Lark Woodlark Eurasian Skylark Bearded Reedling House Sparrow Tree Sparrow Spanish Sparrow Rock Sparrow Trumpeter Finch European Serin Atlantic Canary Red-fronted Serin Eurasian Siskin Common Redpoll Arctic Redpoll Twite Common Linnet Brambling Common Chaffinch European Goldfinch Eurasian Bullfinch Hawfinch Common Crossbill Common Rosefinch Yellowhammer Cirl Bunting Common Reed Bunting Little Bunting Ortolan Bunting Black-headed Bunting Corn Bunting Rock Bunting House Bunting Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Eurasian Bullfinches are comparatively tall, heavy finches. They are dimorphic, i.e. males and females have different plumages. Males have a red front and underparts, while females have grey-buff fronts and underparts. Both sexes have a black cap, black bill and black flight feathers. The upperparts are grey; the vent, rump and wing bars are white.

Taxonomy, classification See Eurasian Bullfinch at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Eurasian Bullfinch is available HERE . There are at least 9 races of Eurasian Bullfinches, which all together populate Europe and all across the width of temperate Asia, to Korea and Japan in the East. Many birds from the northern parts of their range migrate South during winter, but otherwise the species is sedentary. In Europe Eurasian Bullfinches are permanent residents from central Scandinavia in the North to northern Spain, the Appenin mountains in Italy and northern Greece in the South. In summer they extend their breeding range into northern Scandinavia (except the highest mountain regions) and north-western Russia (except the Arctic region). Winter grounds are found in the Mediterranean (except southern Spain) and south-eastern Europe (including the Hungarian Pusta, where they are not found during the breeding season). During the breeding season Eurasian Bullfinches have a preference for mixed woodland, with some conifers. In wintertime Eurasian Bullfinches will enter (sub-)urban gardens to find food, e.g. in bird feeders.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "europaea" Eurasian Bullfinches, race "europaea", were found by us e.g. at Kloster Himmerod, Eifel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, in August 2014. D. Wilczynska reports having Eurasian Bullfinches, race "europaea", visit a bird feeder regularly in wintertime in Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland. M. Thomas also reports that Eurasian Bullfinches, race "europaea", visit a bird feeder regularly in wintertime, in this case in Eltville, Hessen, Germany. A. Sarok spotted a Eurasian Bullfinch, race "europaea", in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. Previously, we have seen Eurasian Bullfinches, race "europaea", in the Eifel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, over decades, since the 1960ies. Race "iberiae" J. Pires reports finding a Eurasian Bullfinch, race "iberiae", in Mora, Evora, Portugal, in January 2018. Others were found at the same location in January 2023 and again in October 2025.

Photos

Race "europaea"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Eurasian Bullfinch (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a male Eurasian Bullfinch
[Kloster Himmerod, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, August 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a male Eurasian Bullfinch (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2017]

Dorsal view of a male Eurasian Bullfinch (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2017]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female Eurasian Bullfinch looking towards the observer
[Kloster Himmerod, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, August 2014]

Lateral view of a female Eurasian Bullfinch
[Kloster Himmerod, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, August 2014]

Race "iberiae"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Eurasian Bullfinch observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2023]

Near-frontal view of a male Eurasian Bullfinch observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2023]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial?

Mobility: Partially migratory

Elementary unit: Pair/family clan

Eurasian Bullfinchs are a species of finch that does not form flocks outside the breeding season. They are usually found in small numbers, as pairs or family units.

Food, Diet

Adults: Seeds, buds

Dependents: Regurgitated seeds

Water intake: Regular

Like all finches known to us, Bullfinches are primarily seed-eaters.

Lateral view of a male Eurasian Bullfinch taking seeds from a bird feeder (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2018]

Lateral view of a female Eurasian Bullfinch taking seeds from a bird feeder (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, January 2018]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

bulfin_jp_20251023.m4a	iberiae (Portugal)	Contact calls?	© JP
bulfin_jp_20251023_2.m4a	iberiae (Portugal)	Contact calls?	© JP
bulfin_jp_20221104.mp3	iberiae (Portugal)	Contact calls? (Q&A)	© JP

More Eurasian Bullfinch sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.