Birdwatching - 3168🐦

🦉 The common rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus)

• Carpodacus Greek: karpos fruit, daknō to bite
• erythrinus erythros (Greek, lat.) red

These birds arrive around mid-May or a little earlier, essentially the last ones to arrive. This is quite odd for herbivorous birds. It's all about their migration. It's unclear why or wherefore; they first fly far east, then make a detour back. The bird is about the size of a sparrow. An adult male can be identified by the bright red plumage on its head and chest. Females and young males are more subdued in appearance and have brownish-gray plumage.

Upon arrival at the nesting grounds, the male begins singing his well-known whistling song, sounding like "Nice to meet you!" After the chicks are born, the birds stop singing and seem to disappear, invisible and unheard. Therefore, the return flight to the wintering grounds occurs unnoticed.