Common rosefinch

A male common rosefinch perched on a thin tree branch. It's a chunky bird with a red wash to the face and breast

Common rosefinch © Adrian Almond

Common rosefinch

Enw gwyddonol: Carpodacus erythrinus
The common rosefinch is a rare visitor to the UK, usually passing through in autumn.

Species information

Ystadegau

Length: 13.5-15cm

Statws cadwraethol

Scarce visitor

Pryd i'w gweld

Mainly May to June and August to October

Ynghylch

The common rosefinch is generally an autumn visitor to the UK, with most records in September and October. These are often young birds, with a fairly plain brown plumage. They are just passing through on their southward migration. Occasionally, the brightly coloured males are found singing in spring. There have even been sporadic records of nesting pairs, mainly in Scotland.

Common rosefinches usually breed in a wide range from Scandinavia and eastern Europe east to Kamchatka in Russia, though there are also scattered populations in central Europe. In autumn, they migrate to India, Southeast Asia and southwest China for the winter.

Sut i'w hadnabod

About the size of a chaffinch, with a short, stocky beak and black eyes. Adult males have a bright scarlet head, breast and rump. However, most sightings are of young birds in autumn, which are much plainer. They have an olive-brown back with two obvious buffy-white bars on each wing.

Dosbarthiad

Most records come from the Northern Isles, the east coast of Scotland and England, and the south coast of England.

Roeddech chi yn gwybod?

It has also been known as the scarlet grosbeak and scarlet rosefinch.