Common Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs (Linnaeus, 1758)

Зяблик | Жаурауық

spring male

autumn male

female

2014-04-27
Ust-Kamenogorsk city, Irtysh river

Distribution

Breeds in Ural valley in south to Yamanka; in Naurzum Ara-Karagay pine forest; in Kokchetav upland (at Zerendinskoye, Beloye, Schuchie, Borovoye lakes and near Troitskoye village); in Ishim valley at Petropavlovsk; in tape pine woods of Pavlodarskoye Trans-Irtysh area; in Semipalatinsk area; in Kalbinskiy Altai and Southwest Altai (in Ulba, Bukhtarma rivers valleys and in Markakol lake). Isolated nesting was found at June 15, 2013 in gorge Eastern Rgaity (Zhetyzhol rodge, Tien Shan). Probably it nests also at Karkaralinsk and in Tarbagatay ridge. Occurs on migration throughout. Winters in southern half of Kazakhstan, in south from Furmanovo in Volga-Ural area; Kurgaldzhino Reserve and Semipalatinsk.

Biology

Common breeding migrant, in non-breeding areas numerous passage migrant or common winter visitor. Inhabits the deciduous forests in rivers valleys, the birch groves on hummock marshes, the dry light pine forests without bushes, or mountain forests at altitudes up to 1450 m. On migration occurs in shelterbelts, riparian forests, groves, kitchen gardens and thickets of tall weeds. In spring in southern areas migrates from the end of February – early March until the end of April – early May in flocks of several dozen or several hundred birds, often together with Brambling; but in northern areas migrates from mid-April to first ten days of May. Breeds in separate pairs. Nest is located on tree at height 1.5-15 m above the ground; nest is built from the thin grass, rootlets, moss and lichen and is lined with hair. Clutch of 4-6 eggs is laid from April to early June, female incubates clutch for 12-13 days. Both parents feed nestlings which fledge at age 12-14 days old, in end of May to late July. Autumn migration begins in mid-August – early September, the intensive migration flight is observed in Ural valley and along the foothills of Tien Shan where flocks of several hundred birds often observed.

Subspecies

Fringilla coelebs coelebs (Linnaeus, 1758)

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Издательство Уральского университета, 2000. "Птицы Казахстана" том 5. "Наука". Алма-Ата, 1974.