One of the finch families, the Chaffinch was introduced from the UK around 1865.  They are now found all over New Zealand.

The male is territorial over the breeding season and gets a lovely deep pink breast to help attract a female.  You may see him aggressively chasing a female as part of the dating ritual.  Once paired the female will build a very tidy cup-shaped nest carefully camouflaged on the outside but lined on the inside with soft comfortable materials like features, wool or hair.

What do Chaffinch eat?

Chaffinch love to eat seeds and their strong beaks enable them to crack them open without a problem. They will also gobble up insects, spiders and small fruit.  Although they usually eat directly from a plant or from the ground, they will visit feeders from time to time too.  And during the breeding time, they get extra protein and energy from bugs, flies, beetles, moths, caterpillars, aphids, cicadas and spiders which they also feed to their young.  

To help support the Chaffinch you can provide Kohab Wild Bird Seed as this will give them extra nutrition and energy. It’s also important to support the insects in your space, providing them with a great natural protein source.