Chaffinch Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)
The Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), also known as the Eurasian Chaffinch or Common Chaffinch, is one of the most common birds found in the UK. With more than 6 million breeding pairs, which is an increase of more than 20% since 1970, the Chaffinch can often be seen in woodlands, farmlands as well as parks and gardens.
Male Chaffinches have an orange-pink breast and cheeks, a blue-grey cap and orange-brown back. Females are a more drab brown with subtle hints of yellow and green. Both males and females have two white wing bars and their tails have white sides.
In this article we’ll be looking into the life cycle of the Chaffinch from nest building to the fledging of the chicks and much more in between. Keep reading to find out more.
Table of Contents
How Long Does A Chaffinch Live?
The average lifespan of a Chaffinch is around 3 years in the wild. Although some individual birds have been known to survive far longer. With some reaching 14 years of age according to ring records.
Captive Chaffinches can live even longer, up to 25 years under favourable conditions.
How Fast Can A Chaffinch Fly?
There have been several studies conducted into the flight speed of the Chaffinch and the average flight speed taken from combining these studies equates to around 24 to 27 mph (39 to 44 km/h).
Chaffinches have an undulating flight pattern and will hover before landing. Which is a good time to spot those white patches on the wings and tail.
Are Chaffinches Aggressive?
Chaffinches are not generally known for being aggressive, especially compared to some other bird species. However, like many territorial birds, male chaffinches can display aggressive behaviour during the breeding season when defending their territory or nest.
This behaviour often involves singing loudly, displaying their plumage, or even engaging in brief physical confrontations with rivals. Outside of the breeding season, chaffinches are generally more sociable and can be seen foraging peacefully in flocks.
What Is A Chaffinch’s Habitat?
The Chaffinch is widespread throughout the British Isles and can be found in woodlands, farmlands, parks and gardens. Chaffinches are year round residents in the UK, however, many females are known to migrate to the south in winter. While males remain close to their breeding territories.
How Long Does It Take For A Chaffinch To Build A Nest?
It generally takes around 7 days for a Chaffinch nest to be constructed. The female constructs the nest on her own typically in the fork of a bush or tree at least 2 metres (6 feet) above the ground.
The nest is cup-shaped and consists of grass, moss and spider’s webs which are then lined with feathers. The male will remain close by guarding his mate and his breeding territory.
Eggs
Once the female is completely happy with the nest, she will lay her eggs.
When Do Chaffinches Lay Eggs?
Chaffinches generally start their breeding season somewhere between April and June. With eggs typically laid in either late April or May. The pair will only attempt to raise one brood per season.
How Many Eggs Does A Chaffinch Lay?
A typical clutch will contain 4 to 5 eggs with one egg laid daily until the clutch is complete. The number of eggs laid is dependent on the health and experience of the female.
What Do Chaffinch Eggs Look Like?
The eggs of the Chaffinch are a pale greenish-blue to light red colour and covered in reddish-brown spots or blotches. Each egg is around 19 x 15 mm in size and weighs around 2.2 grams with around 6% of that weight being the weight of the shell.
How Long Do Chaffinch Eggs Take To Hatch?
The female starts incubating the eggs as soon as the last one is laid and continues the incubation on her own for around 12 to 16 days. The exact incubation time depends on the weather and temperature as well as the geographic location of the nest.
Chicks
Once the incubation period ends, we move on to the next stage in the life cycle of the Chaffinch, the chicks.
How Many Chicks Does A Chaffinch Have?
The number of chicks should correspond to the number of eggs laid. However, this isn’t always the case, in fact, it is estimated that as many as 50% of eggs fail to hatch or are predated from the nest.
This means that from 5 eggs we can expect 2 or maybe 3 chicks to hatch.
When Do Chaffinch Chicks Open Their Eyes?
Chaffinch chicks typically open their eyes around 5 days after hatching. These altricial chicks are naked, blind and totally reliant on their parents when they first hatch.
Once they start to be fed their high protein diet, the chicks develop at a fast rate.
When Do Chaffinch Chicks Fledge?
The chicks develop quickly and typically leave the nest and take their first flight (fledge) after anywhere between 11 to 18 days. However, the young fledglings stay with their parents for around 3 weeks after they fledge. With both parents giving them food and showing them where to find their own food and avoid predators.
SEE ALSO: Sandwich Tern Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)
Frequently Asked Questions
The average lifespan of a Chaffinch is around 3 years in the wild. There have been individuals that have survived for up to 14 years in the wild according to ring data. Captive Chaffinches can live for up to 25 years.
Chaffinch eggs range in colour from greenish-blue to a pale pinkish-red covered in darker purple-brown spots or blemishes.
No, Chaffinches are not rare in the UK. In fact, they are one of the most widespread, common birds in Great Britain and Ireland.
