Brambling

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Brambling in the UK

Brambling is a winter visitor from Scandinavia and Finland, arriving from late September and leaving by late April. Numbers swing widely from one winter to the next, depending on the beech mast crop here and on the Continent. In a good year it is found across most of England, Wales and southern, central and eastern Scotland. It is much scarcer in Ireland. Breeding is very rare, and the bird is protected under Schedule 1. Green-listed in the UK.

Where and when to see a Brambling

Check under beech trees from October to March, in woods, parkland and avenues, and go through every Chaffinch flock. Stubble fields, game cover crops and woodland feeding stations also pull them in. East coast headlands get arrivals in October with north-easterly winds. In late winter, when natural food runs out, Bramblings come into gardens and feed on the ground below seed feeders. A cold spell in February or March is the best time for a garden bird.

Habitat, diet and field notes

Habitat: Beech woods, farmland, gardens (winter).
Diet: Beechmast, seeds.
Field note: Orange shoulder, white rump in flight.

How to identify a Brambling

The same size and shape as a Chaffinch. Look for an orange breast and shoulder patch, a white belly and dark spots on the flanks. In flight a long white rump shows clearly, where Chaffinch has a greenish rump. Winter males have a mottled grey-brown and black head that wears to solid black by spring. Females have a grey head with dark stripes down the sides of the nape. The bill is yellow with a dark tip in winter.

Call and song

The call is a harsh, nasal, rising "tswairp", given from treetops and easy to pick out once learnt. In flight it gives a hard "yeck", lower than the soft "yup" of Chaffinch. The song, a drawn-out wheeze like a distant Greenfinch, is sometimes heard from males in April. Heard something you cannot place? Bird Hear identifies UK birds from a 10 second recording, free in your browser.

Confusion species

• Chaffinch: Chaffinch has a pink or buff breast, white shoulder patch and greenish rump, where Brambling has an orange breast and shoulder and a white rump.
• Bullfinch: Bullfinch also shows a white rump in flight but has a black cap, a plain grey back and no orange.

Month by month

A winter visitor, typically in the UK from October through to April. Numbers peak in January. See the January birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in UK garden birds.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

Conservation status and Birdedex points

In the Birdedex the Brambling is an Uncommon tier bird, worth +3 points when you log one. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• ChaffinchCommon · Woods
• Collared DoveCommon · Gardens
• GreenfinchCommon · Gardens
• Mourning DoveLegendary · Gardens
• Varied ThrushLegendary · Woods
• Barn OwlUncommon · Rough grassland

Brambling: quick answers

When is the best time to see Brambling?

October to March, with two peaks. October and November bring fresh arrivals on the east coast and at beech woods. February and March are best for gardens, as seed stocks in the countryside run low.

What does a Brambling eat?

In winter it relies on beech mast above any other food and will move hundreds of miles to find a good crop. It also takes weed seeds, spilt grain and sunflower hearts on the ground under feeders. In the breeding season in northern birch forest it feeds mostly on insects.

What is the difference between Brambling and Chaffinch?

Rump and shoulder. Flush a mixed flock and the Bramblings show white rumps. On the ground, look for orange where a Chaffinch is white on the shoulder, and for spotted flanks. Brambling is here only in winter, while Chaffinch is present all year.

Kit that helps

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