Finch trichomonosis' impacts chaffinch populations.

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A male chaffinch.
The scientific name for a chaffinch is Fringilla coelebs and they are in the bird family finches. Their conservation status is Green which means they are under least concern and therefore their populations are at a healthy state due to their protection under The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. Chaffinches are one of the most abundant and widespread birds in the UK with a population of 6.2 million. They are well camoflauged due to their distinct patterning which enable them to be effect hunters as they can blend in whilst they feed on the ground. They are less than 15 cm long, have a wing span around 27 cm and they weigh between 18-29 g.

Females and males of the species are easily distinguishable as males are more brightly coloured, like in the picture above, compared to the females who are dully coloured (mostly grey). When they fly both sexes of the species have a white flash on their wings which makes them easily recognisable. They mainly feed on insects and seeds but rarely feed on bird feeders. Instead, they prefer to feed under the bird table or in hedges.

A female chaffinch. Photo: https://www.bto.org/about-birds/species-focus/chaffinch
Recently, their has been a decline in chaffinch populations. In 2006 chaffinches were hit by an outbreak of finch trichomonosis which caused their population to decline by 21% in some regions that were hit the worst. After this, things began to improve for the population and it began to recover to a pre-outbreak level. However, in 2013 and 2014 numbers began to noticeable decline again for reasons that aren't quite known. It is thought this decline could have, again, been linked to finch trichomonsis. Finch trichomonsis is caused by a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas gallinae. The only other noticeable decline in chaffinches was in the 1950s when they were affected by the use of agricultural chemicals and changes in farming practice. However, they were able to recover from this.

Chaffinches start breeding in April and have 1-2 clutches contain 2-8 eggs. They build nests  in a cup shape from moss, grass and feathers and then bind it with spiders' webs and line it with feathers or wool. The nests are sometimes decorated with bark or lichen. They lay eggs that are about 20 mm big and are a glossy light blue colour with a few purple patches. The females incubates the eggs for around 10-16 days and during the fledgling period of 11-18 days both parents provide food for and feed the fledglings.

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