Bullfinch (lat. Pyrrhula pyrrhula) - well-known to all the birds living in the forests of Northern Europe, Eastern Asia, Siberia and Kamchatka.In an urban environment taiga guests rarer, mainly, they can be seen in parks and gardens.
will understand
beautiful and unusual name invariably causes people to question "Why bullfinch bird called?"Translated from the Latin name sounds like "fire."This name was given to the birds of the bright red color of the abdomen in the male.Red have also the sides of the head.The wings and the cap on the head of a black, back is colored gray.Females differ from males in that they do not breast red and brown with a gray tint.
The sign
One of the responses to the question "why is called bullfinches bullfinches" may serve as a sign, which says that the appearance of birds heralds the imminent snow.Bullfinches become apparent with the onset of cold weather.The bright plumage is particularly striking when the trees shed leaves.From the word "snow" and takes the name of the bird.Arriving in the winter in warmer climes, the birds their red-and-pink-bellied people pay attention to the expected onset of cold weather.
This is partly true, but to better understand why called bullfinches bullfinches should turn to history.The name of the birds received from the Turkic word "snig" - Krasnogruda.Later, the name was transformed into a contemporary sound.That's why the so-called bullfinch.
Note
Interestingly, in the warmer months, these striking birds no one notices.The reason is that the red abdomen bullfinches loses brightness and juiciness of color, become pale pink.This allows birds to successfully hide in the dense foliage of the trees.In the summer breeding birds are concerned about their offspring, so to attract undue attention to them to anything.
bullfinches feed on seeds, buds and berries of plants, of which hatch seeds.Chicks are also fed vegetable foods.Insect eating birds bright little use.
Progenitor protagonist of this article - Nepali brown finch, who lived in ancient times in South Asia.He gradually migrated to the northern region, reborn in a new look.Today, science knows of five varieties of colorful birds.It is common bullfinch, Ussuri, gray, Azores and Filipino.As the name suggests, it is easy to identify the place of origin of birds and their natural habitat.
red breast is found only in two types: ordinary and Ussuri bullfinches.Provides rich color carotenoids found in plants, birds consumed in food.Bright color of the males attract females.Nondescript kind of females is more than compensated by their harsh temper.Snow Maiden always prevail over males, solving family matters, and mining their food, choose the best branches of berries and seeds placers.
Snegirev also called the people of Mockingbird rare gift to imitate the sounds of other birds.Females Snow Maiden-like teasing the raven, imitating their croak.In the old Russian Krasnogruda bird parrot called for the ability to play different sounds.In captivity, the birds were trained to whistle, repeating the sounds of pipes, flute, to portray the singing canaries.Singing bullfinches can be profitable to sell.Today, a rare gift almost nobody uses, but keep them only as ornamental birds.
Legend
Besides scientific explanation of why bullfinches bullfinches are called, there are folk tales and legends.One of them tells the story of the young birds that winter decided to fly to the sun, to treat him tasty red berries and seeds.But they have not calculated their strength in long-distance road and burned breast of the sun's rays.He fell on the white snow, the birds were visible on it as bright spots.That's why is called bullfinches bullfinches.
