Mobile bird identification
Bird Field Guide
Adult Male (Summer)
A small slim finch, the Redpoll is a brown and whitish streaked bird, the male has a pink forehead and breast, the female has only a pale red forehead.
Redpoll
Acanthis flammea
Thanks to: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Dger (Modified)
Finches Menu
Thanks to:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Cephas(Modified)
Other Finches
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Blue-grey head
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White wing patches
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Pink underside
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Brown back
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Dark wings
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Mottled head
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Orange breast
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Dark spots on flank
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White rump
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Dark back and wings
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Pale grey head
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Pink breast
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Orange-brown back
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Pale red forehead
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Dark wings
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Black streaked breast
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Tawny-buff face
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Streaked brown back
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Pink rump
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Dark wings
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Pink breast
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Pink forehead
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Small bill
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Brown streaked body
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Whitish streaked underside
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Red face
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Black and white head
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Bright yellow on wings
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Tawny brown back
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Pale underside
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Green-yellow body
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Stout bill
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Yellow wing bar
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Large heavy finch
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Dark around eye
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Black cap
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Yellow head and breast
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Black and yellow wings
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Yellow wings
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White underside
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Bright yellow forehead
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Yellow breast
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Green and black wings
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Forked tail
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Female brownish
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Black cap, bill and nape
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Bright red underside
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Grey back
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Black wings
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White rump
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Large heavy bill
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Bright brown head
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Brown body
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Black wings
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Whitish wing bar
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Hooked, crossed bill
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Red or green body
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Dark wings
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Dark eye
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Habitat specific
Serin (Rare)
Pink breast
Pink forehead
Small bill
Brown streaked body
Dark tail
Whitish streaked underside
Adult Female/Male winter
The female lacks the red breast of the male, her back is more tawny-buff colour. Females often have no pink at all and as males can also have only a pink forehead during moult, separating male from female can be difficult.
The male Redpoll in summer plumage is a distinctive little bird, difficult to confuse with other species.
Female or winter Male? In reality it is difficult to be sure, however the tawny buff hue on this birds back may indicate that this bird is female.
Pale wing bars
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Acanthis
Species: A. flammea
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Acanthis
Species: A. flammea
Distribution:
Thinly distributed throughout Europe, including the very North and Iceland. Has a high tolerance of colder climates. A scarce resident bird in the UK although in the very South of England is present only in winter. Only around 300 birds are recorded each year in the UK and less than 3 breeding pairs have been identified.
Thinly distributed throughout Europe, including the very North and Iceland. Has a high tolerance of colder climates. A scarce resident bird in the UK although in the very South of England is present only in winter. Only around 300 birds are recorded each year in the UK and less than 3 breeding pairs have been identified.
Habitat:
Bushy heaths, Larch forest and Silver Birch with a preference for higher altitudes.
Bushy heaths, Larch forest and Silver Birch with a preference for higher altitudes.
Notes:
The Redpoll has a confusing genealogy history and has recently been separated into different species. The term Redpoll or 'Common Redpoll' is now a generic term for several different but almost identical species:
Lesser Redpoll: Acanthis cabaret
Mealy Redpoll: Acanthis flammea
Greenland Redpoll: A. f. rostrata
Icelandic Redpoll: A. f. islandica
Arctic Redpoll: Acanthis hornemanni
Coues's Arctic Redpoll: C. h. exilipes
Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll: C. H. hornemanni
The differences between these birds is in most cases slight and can only be established by detailed examination of a bird in the hand. I will write a detailed ID guide on these in the future.
The Redpoll has a confusing genealogy history and has recently been separated into different species. The term Redpoll or 'Common Redpoll' is now a generic term for several different but almost identical species:
Lesser Redpoll: Acanthis cabaret
Mealy Redpoll: Acanthis flammea
Greenland Redpoll: A. f. rostrata
Icelandic Redpoll: A. f. islandica
Arctic Redpoll: Acanthis hornemanni
Coues's Arctic Redpoll: C. h. exilipes
Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll: C. H. hornemanni
The differences between these birds is in most cases slight and can only be established by detailed examination of a bird in the hand. I will write a detailed ID guide on these in the future.
