— FINCHES (Fringillidae) —
CHAFFINCH (Fringilla coelebs) - Pinson des arbres
The most common bird in Switzerland! Found in parks, gardens, forests and woodlands up to and beyond the tree-line. It has a very characteristic rolling song.
LINNET (Carduelis cannabina) - Linotte mélodius
This beautiful little bird can be found in open and semi-open country, common in the lowlands and again around 2000m , less common at intermediate altitudes. It has a very melodious song as the name suggests:
GOLDFINCH (Carduelis carduelis) - Linotte mélodius
One of our most beautiful finches, often found in twittering flocks from which it is hard to distinguish its rather hurried but pretty song:
GREENFINCH (Carduelis chloris) - Verdier d’Europe
A great looking bird with a very lively cheerful song usually delivered from an exposed perch:
SISKIN (Carduelis spinosa) - Tarin des aulnes
Often seen in large flocks in winter. Its chattering song and active behaviour, with distinctive black cap of the males makes it readily identified:
CITRIL FINCH (Serinus citrinella) -Venturon montagnard
A small finch of the mountains, yellow-green like a Greenfinch, but smaller with a grey neck in the male. A quite complex song:
SERIN (Serinus serinus) - Serin cini
A dumpy little finch of gardens and forest edge, yellowish and streaked. It has a rather frantic sounding tinkling song:
BULLFINCH (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) - Bouvreuil pivoine
The male Bullfinch is beautiful bird with pink breast and black cap. Rather shy it is usually seen high in the treetops where it sings a quiet and rather mournful song:
HAWFINCH (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) - Grosbec casse-noyaux
The biggest of our finches but the Hawfinch is a rather shy retiring bird which makes a very high-pitched quiet call: