Azores Chaffinch

Fringilla moreletti

Not EvaluatedUncommonEndemic

About the Azores Chaffinch

The Azores chaffinch is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae, closely related to the Eurasian chaffinch F. coelebs, and formerly treated as a subspecies of it. Genetic, morphological, and vocal differences from it have resulted in it being elevated to species level in 2021. It is endemic to the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, part of Macaronesia in the warm temperate northern Atlantic Ocean. It is locally known as the tentilhão or sachão.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

The top and rear of the head and part of the mantle are bluish-grey, with the rest of the mantle being greenish; the wings and tail are black and white; the throat, cheeks, and chest are pink. Unlike other chaffinches, it often shows a pale supercilium above and behind the eye. The bill is grey with a dark tip and cutting edges. The legs and feet are dark pinkish-brown. The plumage of the females is duller, brown above and paler brown below, and with narrower white wing and tail markings.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it lives

Regular range

When to see it

Peak activity in May · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Learn the Azores Chaffinch for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.