Bullfinch (Common Bullfinch)
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
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Distribution Britain 2,173 (-6.5%) Ireland 825 (-5.1%)
Numbers breeding: Britain 190,000 Ireland 100,000 European status: 3,000,000 (9% in Britain and Ireland =4) British population trend: seriously declining (-62% CBC){-40%} How likely are you to record it? 988 squares (22.0%) Ranked 49 [28] |
The Bullfinch was much prized as a cage bird in the 19th century but protection laws may have helped it to increase by 1900. Then it was found all over Britain except the far north of Scotland and the outer Isles and Isle of Man. In Ireland it was increasing from the east and was just about breeding throughout the country. There were local increases, especially where there were new plantations, until 1950 or so and it then started to become apparent that the birds were also colonising more open habitats possibly as Sparrowhawk predation declined. The Bullfinch is still absent from the same areas and suffered net losses (6%) between the two Breeding Atlases. However the worst news was the 62% decline in the 25-year (1972-96) CBC and even 27% in the five year (1994-98) BBS index. Loss of the straggling hedges they prefer and the general intensification of agriculture could be the cause and, if lack of it is implicated in the earlier increase, the renewed predation by Sparrowhawks might affect the index values. No sign, yet, of an end to the downward slide — will it ever end!
The following Bird On! picture is available:
Bullfinch (Watercolour by Robert Gillmor)
The following Bird On! sketch is available:
From
The
State of the Nations Birds
Copyright © 2000 by Chris Mead