Brambling
Fringilla montifringilla
Dachi Mtchedlishvili · Tbilisi Georgia field photo
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 14–16 cm
- Diet
- Seeds and insects
- Status in Georgia
- Winter visitor
- Recorded regions
- Kvemo Kartli; Kakheti; Tbilisi; Shida Kartli
- Habitat
- Forest edge and fields
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Conservation
- Global: LC (2024)
The brambling (Fringilla montifringilla), known in Georgian as ჩრდილოეთის სკვინჩა or მთიულა, is a small songbird and a close relative of the common chaffinch. It breeds in northern forests and comes to Georgia for the winter: it is seen from October to April and has not been recorded here in summer. It is 14–16 cm long. Its breast and shoulders are orange, its belly and rump white. In winter it travels in flocks, often with chaffinches, along forest edges and in fields and orchards. In Georgia it winters in Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti, Tbilisi and Shida Kartli. It is seen most often at Kumisi Lake and in Gardabani Municipality. Globally its extinction risk is low, and it is not on Georgia's 2014 Red List.
Identification
Brambling: how to identify it
A chaffinch-sized bird with an orange breast and shoulders, a white belly and a white rump. In Georgia it is seen only in winter, often together with chaffinches.
It is 14–16 cm long and weighs on average about 24.5 g. The breast and shoulders are orange, the belly white, with dark spots on the flanks. In flight the white rump at the base of the back stands out. In summer the male has a black head and back and a black bill.
In winter, when it is in Georgia, the male's head is mottled grey-brown and its bill yellow. Towards the end of winter the head and back gradually turn black. The female has a grey head, a yellow bill all year and paler orange.
The common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) has the same size and shape, but the male has a pinkish rather than orange breast and white bars on the wing. Its rump is not white, so in flight you can tell the brambling by its white rump. Both species may be in the same flock.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
Often confused with
It breeds in northern birch and conifer forests and in mixed woods. In winter it is found in broadleaf woods, along forest edges, in shelter belts, orchards and stubble fields. In winter it especially favours beech woods, where it eats beechnuts. In Georgia it winters in Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti, Tbilisi and Shida Kartli. In Kvemo Kartli it is seen most often at Kumisi Lake and elsewhere in Gardabani Municipality, and also in Tsalka Municipality. In Kakheti it has been seen many times at Chandari in Gurjaani Municipality, and also in Lagodekhi and Sagarejo municipalities. In Tbilisi it turns up at Lisi Lake and in Vake-Saburtalo, and in Shida Kartli in Gori Municipality. In other regions only single birds have been seen: in the mountains at Bakuriani and in Mestia and Kazbegi municipalities, and also in Dusheti Municipality, Adjara, Racha, Imereti and Abkhazia.
The brambling map combines public iNaturalist observations. Regions are taken from the records-by-region table, and the status column separates regions with enough records from regions with too few records. All records fall between October and April. Record counts reflect observation effort rather than population density.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
It feeds on seeds and berries, and in summer also on insects and other invertebrates. In winter it especially favours beechnuts. It often searches for food on the ground, under trees or in fields.
It is a migratory bird. In Georgia it is seen from October to April, most often in November, January and February. It has not been seen here from May to September. In winter it lives in flocks and often mixes with chaffinches. In some countries winter flocks hold thousands of birds, and millions may gather at night roosts. Its numbers vary greatly from winter to winter, depending on where there is enough food. It breeds from May to early August in northern forests. The nest sits in a fork or against the trunk of a tree: a large, loose cup of grass, moss, lichen, bark strips, fur and feathers. It usually lays 5–7 eggs. The female incubates for 11–12 days. The young leave the nest after 13–14 days. It usually raises one brood a year, rarely two.
Globally the brambling is assessed as Least Concern (LC, 2024). Its range and numbers are very large: the number of mature birds is estimated at about 35–65 million. Its numbers are slowly declining, but not fast enough for it to be considered threatened. It is not on Georgia's 2014 Red List. An updated assessment from 2021, not yet approved, also rates it Least Concern (LC) in Georgia, with a stable trend.
Giorgi Natsvlishvili · Donsky · Dachi Mtchedlishvili · Markus Ackermann · Archil Kvelashvili
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes, in winter. It is seen from October to April, most often in November, January and February.
In winter, in Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti, Tbilisi and Shida Kartli. It is seen most often at Kumisi Lake and in Gardabani Municipality, and also at Chandari (Gurjaani Municipality), at Lisi Lake in Tbilisi and in Gori Municipality. Look for it in winter flocks of chaffinches.
The brambling has an orange breast and shoulders, and in flight it shows a white rump. The chaffinch has a pinkish breast and white wing bars, and no white rump.
It has not been seen in Georgia in summer. It breeds in northern birch and conifer forests from May to early August.
It is 14–16 cm long and weighs on average about 24.5 g, the size of a chaffinch.
Seeds and berries, and insects in summer. In winter it especially favours beechnuts.
The brambling is harmless to people. Globally its extinction risk is low. It is not on Georgia's 2014 Red List. Do not catch the bird or keep it in a cage.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
