Canary Islands Chaffinch
Fringilla canariensis
The Canary Islands Chaffinch (Fringilla canariensis) is a rare finches, euphonias, and alli found only in Spain. The Canary Islands chaffinch is a species of passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.
About the Canary Islands Chaffinch
The Canary Islands chaffinch is a species of passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies group within the widespread Eurasian chaffinch F. coelebs, but was recently revised to be a species in its own right, following a genetic and morphological analysis of the genus Fringilla in 2021. It is endemic to the Canary Islands, and is thought to be largely resident within its distribution.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Canary Islands chaffinch is similar in size to the Eurasian chaffinch at around 15–16 cm long, but differs markedly in plumage of the male, with a dark blue-grey mantle, and lighter pink face and breast, and whiter belly and undertail. As with all chaffinch species, the female is duller brown. The bill is similar to Eurasian and African chaffinches, not distinctly large like the related Azores chaffinch.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Canary Islands Chaffinch can be seen all year round, with peak activity in December. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Canary Islands Chaffinch?
- The Canary Islands chaffinch is similar in size to the Eurasian chaffinch at around 15–16 cm long, but differs markedly in plumage of the male, with a dark blue-grey mantle, and lighter pink face and breast, and whiter belly and undertail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- Where can you see a Canary Islands Chaffinch?
- The Canary Islands Chaffinch is endemic to Spain, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Canary Islands Chaffinch?
- The Canary Islands Chaffinch is most easily confused with the Madeira Chaffinch, the Tenerife Blue Chaffinch and the Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch.
Learn the Canary Islands Chaffinch for real
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