Azores Bullfinch
A species of Bullfinches Scientific name : Pyrrhula murina Genus : Bullfinches
Azores Bullfinch, A species of Bullfinches
Botanical name: Pyrrhula murina
Genus: Bullfinches
Content
Description General Info
Description
The Azores bullfinch has a length of 15–17 cm and a weight of about 30 g, with males being slightly larger than females. Relative to most other finches in its family it is plump, with shorter wings and a longer tail. The plumage pattern is similar to that of the Eurasian bullfinch, though colouration is more sombre, lacking its bright pink underparts. It has a black cap, face, wings and tail; the rest being greyish or pale grey-brown. Males and females are virtually identical in appearance, though males may exhibit a faint pinkish suffusion on the belly and flanks. The contact call is a distinctive short, flute-like, melancholic whistle. 
Size
17 cm
Nest Placement
Cavity
Feeding Habits
Azores Bullfinch primarily eats plant material, including seeds, fruits, and fern fronds. They forage for food up and down their habitat range seasonally. Unique in their diet is the consumption of lily of the valley tree parts, which is significant for their survival.
Habitat
The azores Bullfinch predominantly inhabits lush native Azorean laurel forests situated within steep valleys. Its habitat extends to areas with herbaceous vegetation along the fringes of these forests and within woodlands of exotic flora such as Clethra, Japanese cedar, and cheesewood, particularly prevalent in higher terrain. Azores Bullfinch is also known to occupy lower woodland regions adjacent to streams.
Dite type
Granivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Distribution Area
The Azores bullfinch is now largely restricted to a small area (c. 580 ha) of native laurisilva forest at the eastern end of São Miguel, 300–-800 m asl, mainly centred on Pico da Vara in the Serra da Tronqueira range, but also seasonally (September to December) around Salto do Cavalo, further westwards in the range. The latter population probably comprises juveniles following post-fledging dispersal. The species has never been recorded from the western end of the island. Necessary for the recovery of the Azores bullfinch is to restore its available ecological enclaves in the northern archipelago of Macaronesia. The process of species decline, which a significant portion of other endemic Azorean flora is also suffering, is favored by the expansion of invasive alien plants. Projects dedicated to saving the Azores bullfinch include the restoration of original laurel forest habitat in the eastern monteverde of São Miguel.
Species Status
The population of the Azores bullfinch is small; it was estimated to comprise 30–40 pairs in the late 1970s, 100 pairs in 1989, and between 60 and 200 pairs in the early 1990s, though in 2008 it was estimated at 775 individuals. It is the most threatened passerine bird and the second rarest bird behind the northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) in Europe. The population was once larger and spread over a wider range, but both numbers and range have declined since the 1920s following the destruction of areas of its forest habitat for grazing and agriculture, as well as afforestation and invasion by introduced plants, especially the Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica). The entire range of the species is protected as a Special Protection Area, the Pico da Vara / Ribeira do Guilherme SPA (a Natura 2000 site), under European Union legislation. The main approach to conserving the species is the protection and restoration of threatened native laurel forest vegetation.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Finches Genus
Bullfinches Species
Azores Bullfinch 
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