Finches

The subfamily Fringillinae is comprised of only three species of finches that breed widely in Europe and Asia. These are superficially similar to the cardueline finches, but they do not have a crop, and they feed their young mostly insects, rather than regurgitated seeds and other plant matter.

The common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) has a wide breeding range across northern Eurasia. The male chaffinch has a black head and back, an orange-buff breast, and a white belly, while the coloration of the female is less bright.

The brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) is also a widespread breeder across northern Eurasia. The brambling also occurs during its migrations in western Alaska, particularly on some of the Aleutian islands, where flocks of this species may be observed. The male brambling has a blue head, pinkish brown face and breast, a greenish rump, and black-and-white wings, while the female is a relatively drab, olive-gray.

The blue chaffinch (F. teydea) only occurs in conifer forests on the Canary Islands. The male is a rather uniformly slate-blue, and the female is a darker gray.