Brambling

Fringilla montifringilla

Introduction

A winter visitor to Britain & Ireland, Bramblings arrive in large numbers from Fennoscandia during the autumn and often join flocks of other finches.

An attractive bird, the Brambling can be a very welcome visitor to gardens. Bramblings will readily feed on the ground under the feeders, when their autumn-coloured plumage merges with fallen leaves so they can be hard to spot.

This is a species that can form impressively large flocks during the winter months, sometimes reaching many hundreds in the UK. However these numbers are dwarfed by record-breaking flocks of millions that have been encountered elsewhere in Europe. Such flocks are a beautiful sight in late winter as birds assume the contrasting oranges and black of summer plumage.

Key Stats

Common

24.5g

5-7

BTO Records

250k records

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

No current data

40% expansion

No data

No current data

21.6% expansion

Identification

Curated resources to aid in the identification of Brambling

ID Videos

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This section features BTO training videos headlining this species, or featuring it as a potential confusion species.

Chaffinch & Brambling

GBW: Chaffinch and Brambling

Songs and Calls

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Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Brambling, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

Song:

Call:

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern

Green listed

Species of European Conservation Concern

Least Concern

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Least Concern

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Birds Directive Annex 1

Listed on the Annexes of*

WCA(III), Bern(III)

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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BOU Category

Source

First Record*

1544

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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Brambling has been an extremely rare breeder in the UK since the late 1970s, with the majority of records being from northern Scotland [Eaton & the Rare Breeding Birds Panel 2023a]. It is also an abundant and widely distributed winter visitor; an apparent range expansion since the 1981–84 Winter Atlas is thought likely to be a consequence of birds responding to food availability, including in gardens, and an increase in recording effort [Balmer et al. 2013]. The species has shown a moderate decline across Europe since 1980 [PECBMS: PECBMS 2020a].

Distribution

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Autumn arrivals of Bramblings from their Fennoscandian breeding grounds vary in number from year to year. In good years they are widely distributed through most of England, Wales and south, central and eastern Scotland. In Ireland they are much less widespread, being found in only 32% of 10-km squares compared to 71% in Britain. Abundance is relatively high in northeast Scotland, the Southern Uplands, East Anglia and a band running from the Welsh Marches to the Isle of Wight. Most birds depart by April but every year a few birds linger and sing. Actual breeding events are very rare and possibly declining.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007 and indicate how widespread a species is.

No. occupied in breeding season

% occupied in breeding season

0.2%

No. occupied in winter

2122

% occupied in winter

70%

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Distribution Change

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Since the 1981–84 Winter Atlas there have been apparent range expansions of 21% in Britain and 53% in Ireland. However, there are few discernible patterns in the gains and losses; this may be a consequence of birds responding to spatially variable food supplies and increased use of gardens, especially when natural food is limiting.

Change in occupied 10-km squares in the UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007-11 and indicate by how much occupied areas have expanded or contracted over recent decades.

% change in range in breeding season (1968–72 to 2008–11)

40 %

% change in range in winter (1981–84 to 2007–11)

21.6 %

Bird Atlas distribution change maps show how bird distributions have changed through time. Coloured upward-pointing triangles show places apparently colonised over the period; grey downward-pointing triangles show places apparently vacated. Shading show places occupied.

Winter Distribution change for Brambling

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Breeding Distribution change for Brambling

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Seasonality

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Brambling is an autumn passage migrant and winter visitor, arriving from October and departing in April.

Weekly pattern of occurrence

The graph shows when the species is present in the UK, with taller bars indicating a higher likelihood of encountering the species in appropriate regions and habitats.

Phenology graph — Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about Brambling movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

Dots show the foreign destinations of birds ringed in Britain & Ireland, and the origins of birds ringed overseas that were subsequently recaptured, resighted or found dead in Britain & Ireland. Dot colours indicate the time of year that the species was present at the location.

Winter (Nov-Feb)
Spring (Mar-Apr)
Summer (May-Jul)
Autumn (Aug-Oct)

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

The Eurasian-African Migration Atlas shows movements of individual birds ringed or recovered in Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Brambling, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Productivity and Nesting

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Nesting timing

Typical (exceptional) number of broods

1(2)

Source

Egg measurements

Typical length x width

19x14 mm

Mass (% shell)

2.1g (6%)

Source

Clutch Size

Typical number

7-5 eggs

Observed minimum and maximum

3-8 eggs

Source

Incubation

Incubation by

Female

Typical duration

12-11 days

Source

Fledging

Type of chick

Altricial, downy

Typical duration

14-13 days

Source

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report.

lifespan

Typical life expectancy of bird reaching breeding age

with breeding typically at 1 year

Source

Maximum age from a ringed bird

8 years, 7 months, 16 days (set in 1983)

Biometrics

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Wing length and body weights are from live birds (source).

Wing length

Average ±1 std deviation; range and sample size in brackets.

Juvenile

90.2±3.2 mm

(85-95 mm, N=3090)

All adults

90.8±3.3 mm

(85-96 mm, N=10690)

Female

87.6±2.1 mm

(84-91 mm, N=4159)

Male

92.8±2.2 mm

(89-96 mm, N=6519)

Body weight

Average ±1 std deviation; range and sample size in brackets.

Juvenile

90.2±3.2 mm

(85-95 mm, N=3090)

All adults

90.8±3.3 mm

(85-96 mm, N=10690)

Female

87.6±2.1 mm

(84-91 mm, N=4159)

Male

92.8±2.2 mm

(89-96 mm, N=6519)

Ring Size

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Brambling

Classification and Codes

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Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Scientific name: Fringilla montifringilla
Authority: Linnaeus, 1758

BTO 2-letter code: BL
BTO 5-letter code: BRAMB
Euring code number: 16380

Alternate species names

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Catalan: pinsà mec
Czech: penkava jikavec
Danish: Kvækerfinke
Dutch: Keep
Estonian: põhjavint
Finnish: järripeippo
French: Pinson du Nord
Gaelic: Breacan-caorainn

German: Bergfink
Hungarian: fenyopinty
Icelandic: Fjallafinka
Irish: Breacán
Italian: Peppola
Latvian: ziemas zubite
Lithuanian: šiaurinis kikilis
Norwegian: Bjørkefink

Polish: jer
Portuguese: tentilhão-montês
Slovak: pinka severská (ikavec)
Slovenian: pinoža
Spanish: Pinzón real
Swedish: bergfink
Welsh: Pinc y Mynydd

English folkname(s): Mountain/Bramble Finch

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

BTO

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

JNCC

RSPB

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