bullfinch

bull·finch

noun \ˈbu̇l-ˌfinch also ˈbəl-\

Definition of BULLFINCH

: a European finch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula of the family Fringillidae) having in the male rosy-red underparts, blue-gray back, and black cap, chin, tail, and wings; also : any of several other finches

First Known Use of BULLFINCH

circa 1570

Rhymes with BULLFINCH

Bulfinch, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch, hawfinch, unclinch

bullfinch

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Common bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)—H.M. Barnfather/Bruce Coleman Ltd.

Any of several species of stocky, stout-billed songbirds of the families Fringillidae and Emberizidae. Eurasia has six species of the genus Pyrrhula, all boldly marked. The common bullfinch (P. pyrrhula), 6 in. (15 cm) long, is black and white; the male has a pinkish orange underside. It has a soft warbling call and is a popular cage bird. It is usually found in evergreen groves and hedgerows and is notorious for eating the buds of fruit trees. The trumpeter bullfinch (Rhodopechys githaginea), of arid localities from the Canary Islands to India, is a pale bird with a blaring buzzy note.