Blue Chaffinch
Encyclopedia
The Blue Chaffinch, Fringilla teydea, is a species of passerine
bird
in the finch
family Fringillidae. It is endemic to the islands of Tenerife
and Gran Canaria
in Spain
's Canary Islands
. This bird is the natural symbol of the island of Tenerife
, together with the Canary Islands Dragon Tree
.
(Pinus canariensis) forest. It is most common in coniferous forest areas with dense undergrowth, but it is also found in laurel and pine woodland, tree-heath, and scrub.
It prefers habitat at around 1100–2000 m, but it will descend lower in bad weather.
Blue Chaffinches resemble Chaffinch
es, but they are noticeably larger, and have a thicker bill. They are characteristically more uniform in their plumage, and they lack a dark cap. Females are a dull grey-brown, but can be distinguished from Chaffinches by their weaker wing bars.
Breeding males are unmistakable, with the namesake largely blue plumage and a grey bill.
Blue Chaffinches primarily eat Canary Island Pine seeds, but, unlike most other finches, its young are fed extensively on insects. Breeding from May to July, it builds its nest in a tree fork, and lays two eggs.
This bird is not migratory
. This species may form small flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes associating with Chaffinches and other finches.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the finch
Finch
The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
family Fringillidae. It is endemic to the islands of Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
and Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. This bird is the natural symbol of the island of Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
, together with the Canary Islands Dragon Tree
Dracaena draco
Dracaena draco, the Canary Islands Dragon Tree or Drago isa subtropical Dragon Tree native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and locally in western Morocco, and introduced to the Azores...
.
Distribution
This bird is found only in the highlands of the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. It has two subspecies, F. t. tydea from Tenerife and F. t. polatzeki from Gran Canaria. Its primary habitat is mountain Canary Island PineCanary Island Pine
Pinus canariensis, the Canary Island Pine, is a species in the genus Pinus, family Pinaceae, native and endemic to the outer Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is a subtropical pine and does not tolerate low temperatures or hard frost, surviving temperatures down to about −6 to...
(Pinus canariensis) forest. It is most common in coniferous forest areas with dense undergrowth, but it is also found in laurel and pine woodland, tree-heath, and scrub.
It prefers habitat at around 1100–2000 m, but it will descend lower in bad weather.
Description
Chaffinch
The Chaffinch , also called by a wide variety of other names, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Description :...
es, but they are noticeably larger, and have a thicker bill. They are characteristically more uniform in their plumage, and they lack a dark cap. Females are a dull grey-brown, but can be distinguished from Chaffinches by their weaker wing bars.
Breeding males are unmistakable, with the namesake largely blue plumage and a grey bill.
Behaviour
Their song is shorter and weaker than that of the Chaffinch, and the flight call is croakier.Blue Chaffinches primarily eat Canary Island Pine seeds, but, unlike most other finches, its young are fed extensively on insects. Breeding from May to July, it builds its nest in a tree fork, and lays two eggs.
This bird is not migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
. This species may form small flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes associating with Chaffinches and other finches.