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Specie: Hawfinch, male
Location: ZOO, Warsaw, Poland

The Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes_, is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. Its closest living relatives are the Evening Grosbeak (C. vespertinus_) from North America and the Hooded Grosbeak (C. abeillei) from Central America especially Mexico.

This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia. 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.

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 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.

Date taken: 11.05.2012
Camera: Canon EOS 450D
Lens: Tamron SP AF 70-200 mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) MACRO
1/80s * F/3.2 * 200mm * ISO800