Tenerife Blue Chaffinch
Fringilla teydea
Endemic to the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Medium-sized finch with a strong and heavy bill and broken white eyering. Male is a striking dark blue-gray while female is brown-gray. Largely restricted to montane pine forests. Song is a repetitive, accelerating series; call is a “pi”chewee.”
Identification
Tenerife blue chaffinches resemble common chaffinches, but they are noticeably larger, and have a thicker bill. They are characteristically more uniform in their plumage, and they lack a dark cap. Females are a dull grey-brown, but can be distinguished from chaffinches by their weaker wing bars. Breeding males are unmistakable, with the namesake largely blue plumage and a grey bill.
Taxonomy
Until 2015, the species Fringilla teydea was classified into two subspecies: Fringilla teydea polatzeki from Gran Canaria and Fringilla teydea teydea from Tenerife. However, a study published in March 2016 showed that a classification as different species, Fringilla polatzeki and Fringilla teydea, is justified.
- Scientific name
- Fringilla teydea
- Authority
- Webb, Berthelot & Moquin-Tandon, 1836
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Fringilla
Range and habitat
This bird is found only in the highlands of Tenerife.<p>The species' primary habitat is mountain Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis) forest. It is most common in coniferous forest areas with dense undergrowth, but it is also found in laurel and pine woodland, tree-heath, and scrub.It prefers habitat at around 1,100–2,000 m (3,600–6,600 ft), but it will descend in bad weather.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Tenerife blue chaffinch's song is shorter and weaker than that of the common chaffinch, and the flight call is croakier. It primarily eats Canary Island pine seeds. Like the common chaffinch, but unlike most other finches, its young are fed extensively on insects. Breeding from the end of April to late July or early August, it builds a nest from pine needles and broom branches, and lays two eggs. This bird is not migratory. Individuals may form small flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes associating with common chaffinches and other finches.
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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