Finches · Perching birds
Redpoll
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Acanthis flammea
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Voice
Call
Song
Call
How to recognize it
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Very small, chaffinch-like finch
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Brownish-grey with dark streaks
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Bright red forehead patch and black bib
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Two pale wing bars; loose flocks, constant chattering
About the species
Redpoll is a small, lively northern finch that looks especially light in flight and in flocks. The red cap is the most memorable detail, and in spring the red on the head and breast becomes stronger and more noticeable.
It usually moves in tight groups and keeps up a steady chatter. The call is short and repeated, and the song is simple, with a dry trill; on the wing or while feeding, it gives a busy, restless impression.
It lives in birch-filled taiga, scrubby tundra, and other northern places with shrubs, willows, wet clearings, and woodland edges. It feeds mainly on seeds, especially birch seeds, and in winter often shifts southward; in the breeding season it also takes insects.
Did you know?
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Never the same wintering ground twice
Redpolls very rarely return to their previous wintering sites — there are almost no recaptures of banded birds at the same location.
