Overview

Arctic Redpolll: Small finch, buff-gray, brown-streaked upperparts and brown-streaked white underparts washed pink. Head has red cap, black chin patch. Black wings with two white bars. Rump is pale gray or white with few or no streaks. Black tail is notched. Brown-black legs and feet.

Arctic Redpoll: Breeds in tundra birch forests across northern Canada, Greenland, and Eurasia. Some birds migrate short distances south for the winter. Rare winter visitor to UK and Ireland, with the majority of sightings along the eastern English coast. Found in forest clearings, open fields, and near bodies of water.

Xeno-Canto Sound

Arctic Redpoll A1

• Title: Arctic Redpoll A1
• Recordist: Andrew Spencer
• Description: Songs from a small flock in flight.
• Location: AK
• Date: "August 15, 2016"

Arctic Redpoll A2

• Title: Arctic Redpoll A2
• Recordist: Andrew Spencer
• Description: Typical call is a repeated "che".
• Location: AK
• Date: "August 15, 2016"

Arctic Redpoll A3

• Title: Arctic Redpoll A3
• Recordist: Andrew Spencer
• Description: Rising "tsooee" calls.
• Location: AK
• Date: "August 15, 2016"

Arctic Redpoll A4

• Title: Arctic Redpoll A4
• Recordist: Andrew Spencer
• Description: "Che" calls given in flight.
• Location: AK
• Date: "August 15, 2016"

Arctic Redpoll A5

• Title: Arctic Redpoll A5
• Recordist: Andrew Spencer
• Description: Song is a rapid series of "che, che, che" call notes followed by a trill.
• Location: AK
• Date: "August 15, 2016"

Voice Text

"che, che, che", "tsooee", "zzzzzz-chee-chee-chee-chee", "tweet"

• A group of redpolls are collectively known as a "gallup" of redpolls.
• If temperatures get too warm, it may pluck out some of its body feathers. These feathers will grow back in a few days
• The Arctic Redpoll has very fluffy body feathers that help it stay warm in extremely cold temperatures. It has feathers on areas of its body that are bare in most other birds
• The species name commemorates the Danish botanist Jens Wilken Horneman

• Common Redpoll

Finches (Fringillidae)

ORDER

Also known as perching birds, the order PASSERIFORMES (pronounced pas-ser-i-FOR-meez) is composed of one hundred and eighteen families of birds, among which are the insectivorous warblers and the seed-eating finches.

FAMILY TAXONOMY

The Fringillidae (pronounced frin-JIHL-lih-dee) is a widespread bird family found on most continents and includes two hundred and seven species of finches in thirty-nine genera (IOC World Bird List, version 2.3).

EUROPE

Thirty-four species of finches in thirteen genera have occurred in Europe. These include familiar feeder visitors such as goldfinches and siskins, the crossbills, and the massive-billed Hawfinch.

KNOWN FOR

Finches are known for their seed-eating behaviour and cheery songs; characteristics that facilitated and popularized the domestication of the Island Canary. Finches such as White-winged Crossbills are also known for their “irruptive" migrations in search of food sources that can make them locally common one winter and absent the next.

PHYSICAL

Finches are primarily small birds with stout, short bills adapted to cracking open seeds and have short legs for a mostly arboreal lifestyle. Many species also have slightly forked tails and long wings useful for the large amount of flying needed to find seeding plants.

COLORATION

European finches are generally plumaged in shades of red, yellow, brown, grey, and dull green. Male finches are more brightly coloured than females; the pinkish-red, grey, black, and white plumage of male Bullfinches being especially striking.

GEOGRAPHIC HABITAT

Finches in Europe occupy forest and non-forest habitats, coniferous forests being favoured by some species. The non-forest niche is filled by a variety of species including goldfinches, the Linnet, Twite, and the Trumpeter Finch.

MIGRATION

Most finches are adapted to cold weather and only migrate when seed crops on their breeding grounds become scarce. An exception to this is the Common Rosefinch which migrates from north-eastern Europe to India for the winter.

HABITS

Members of the finch family are very social birds typically found in flocks outside of the breeding season. Most finches forage for seeds in trees and bushes although a few species take some insects and forage on the ground.

CONSERVATION

While finches in Europe are doing quite well, most members of this family native to the Hawaiian Islands are highly endangered with many having already gone extinct and others in decline because of their high susceptibility to introduced diseases such as avian malaria and changes to the native forests they inhabit.

INTERESTING FACTS

The aptly named crossbills have curious curved bills with crossed tips. Although it looks more like a bill deformity than a useful tool, this specialized bill shape is perfect for extracting seeds from pine cones.

Artist

Michael Oberhofer