Brambling

A winter bird with bright brown plumage.

Scientific name	Fringilla montifringilla
English name	Brambling
Japanese name	花鶏
Class	Aves
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Fringillidae
Genus	Fringilla
Species	montifringilla
Full length	16cm.
Distribution	Breeds in northern Eurasia. Migrates to Japan (Hokkaidō to Kyūshū) as a winter bird.

Brambling Characteristics and Morphology

About the same size as or slightly smaller than the Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica). The entire body is brown. Males and females differ mainly in the color of their heads.
The relatively sharp beak is lead-colored towards the tip and yellowish at the base. The iris is black. There is bright brown plumage around the shoulders. The back is a mix of bright brown and black, but the impression varies between males and females and depending on the season. The lower part of the abdomen is white. The tail feathers are M-shaped and dark. The legs are flesh-colored to brown.

Male

More distinctly colored than the female.
The feathers on the head are generally black. Even in winter plumage, the proportion of black parts is high.

Female

Overall, a more subdued color than the male.
The face is faded brown with some black feathers around the crown.

Song

Sings with a "kyo-kyo" sound.

Brambling Ecology

Habitat

Migrates to Japan as a winter bird and can be seen in forests, cultivated land, and riverbeds.

Food

Eats plant seeds and also feeds on insects.

Life Cycle

May form large flocks before migration.

Brambling Photos

Brambling Photos are introduced.
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There are two rows of dark brown feathers on the nape.

It was foraging, blending in with the withered grass.

Brambling Information

Naming

The scientific name "montifringilla" means "mountain finch," because in Europe it was mainly seen in the mountains. The kanji "花鶏" (flower bird) comes from the bright orange color being likened to a flower. The English name "Brambling" is derived from thorny shrubs (brambles) and is named after its habitat.

Brambling Found Locations

Riverbed in the midstream of the Tama River

Discovered on a warm February morning in the riverbed in the midstream of the Tama River. It was flying alone, mixed in with birds such as Rustic Buntings and Oriental Greenfinches. From a distance, its abdomen looked white, so at first I thought it was a White-cheeked Bunting.
It was not very wary, and stayed on a tree branch on the opposite side of the water for a while, and foraged on the ground with withered grass.