Scientific name: Coccothraustes coccothraustes (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bird group: Finches and Crossbills
Field characters. 18 cm. A stout bird with a very heavy bill, large head and short tail. Head yellowish brown with black throat and lores, nape ash-grey, mantle, back, scapulars and lesser and median coverts rich brown, underparts pale pinkish beige, rump and tail (latter with white terminal band) are lighter brown than back; wings predominantly blackish blue with bold white midwing panel and white basal halves of primaries. Wing pattern and silhouette make confusion unlikely. Bill is grey-blue during breeding season, horn during winter. Female similar to male, but with slightly paler plumage and grey wing-panel. Juvenile yellow buff with brownish barring, especially on underparts, and yellowish throat. Very secretive; predominantly in highest branches of trees. Usually detected by its call.
Voice. Most common note is a sharp, sudden "pzik-pzik". Its song is rarely heard.
Distribution. A locally common partial migrant for middle and lower latitudes of Europe; northernmost populations migrate southward during winter.
Habitat. Mainly an arboreal species; commonly found in well-wooded forests, parks, and similar habitats. During winter occasionally found in more open country.
Food. Chiefly seeds, kernels of hard fruits, and buds; feeds young with insects.