Coccothraustes coccothraustes
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is the only extant species placed in the genus Coccothraustes. Its closest living relatives are the genus Eophona of East Asia, and Hesperiphona of Central and North America.
This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia (Palearctic). It is mainly resident in Europe, but many Asian birds migrate further south in the winter. It is a rare vagrant to the western islands of Alaska. Deciduous or mixed woodland, including parkland, with large trees – especially hornbeam – is favoured for breeding. The hawfinch builds its nest in a bush or tree, and lays 2–7 eggs. The food is mainly seeds and fruit kernels, especially those of cherries, which it cracks with its powerful bill. This large finch species is usually seen in a pair or small group.
The 16.5–18 cm long hawfinch is a bulky bull-headed bird, which appears very short-tailed in flight. Its head is orange-brown with a black eyestripe and bib, and a massive bill, which is black in summer but paler in winter. The upper parts are dark brown and the underparts orange.
The white wing bars and tail tip are striking in flight. The sexes are similar. The call is a hard chick. The song of this unobtrusive bird is quiet and mumbled. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 3 | Gauja National Park | 🇱🇻 Latvia | |
| 4 | Plitvice Lakes National Park | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 5 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 6 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 9 | Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | |
| 10 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 11 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 12 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 13 | Nikko National Park | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 14 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 15 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 16 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 17 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 18 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 19 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 20 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 21 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Kaliningrad Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 3 | Beijing Wildlife Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | Kharkiv Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 5 | Tierpark Hexentanzplatz | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Leningrad Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 7 | Zoopark Limpopo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 8 | Kharkiv Dolphinarium | 🇺🇦 Ukraine |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Hawfinch sighting in Sendai on a given day, based on 211 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 25th most-seen of the 107 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and March
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Hawfinch in Sendai on a given day, against about 10% in June to September, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hawfinch sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 62 cities where we can rate Hawfinch sightings, Sendai ranks 2nd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kharkiv (Ukraine, about 40%).
Same family: Fringillidae
The closest relatives of the Hawfinch that you can see in Sendai (family Fringillidae, Finches, Euphonias, and Allies) are Oriental Greenfinch (about 70%), Long-tailed Rosefinch (about 20%) and Eurasian Siskin (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hawfinch is recorded against all the birds logged in Sendai (211 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
