Bullfinch
The bullfinch is a European and Asian finch, the male unmistakable with a rose-pink breast, black cap and grey back.
It has a long history in aviculture: in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries piping bullfinches were trained to whistle tunes and were among the most valuable cage birds in Europe.
It is a quiet, retiring bird with a soft piping call rather than a strong song, and it is not a species that tames to the hand. Wild bullfinches are protected across their range, so any bird kept must be captive-bred and, in Britain and much of Europe, correctly ringed and documented.
- Origin
- Europe and northern Asia
- Size
- 14–16 cm
- Lifespan
- 8–12 years in captivity
- Diet
- Finch seed, buds, berries, greens, some livefood
- Temperament
- Quiet, retiring, not a handling bird
- Legal
- Protected in the wild; captive-bred and ringed birds only
2 bullfinch photos, newest first
Living with a bullfinch
Check the law before acquiring one. In the United Kingdom and across much of Europe bullfinches are protected wild birds, and keeping one legally requires a captive-bred bird with the correct closed ring and paperwork.
They need a planted aviary or a large flight rather than a cage, and they are shy — a quiet position matters.
The natural diet includes tree buds and berries, and captive birds do best with a varied finch mix supplemented with greens, softfood and some livefood in the breeding season.
Keep them away from draughts and from airborne toxins.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual birds vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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