bullfinch

bullfinch
bullfinch1
/bool"finch'/, n.
1. a European finch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, often kept as a pet, the male of which has a black, white, and bluish-gray back and a rosy breast.
2. any of several related or similar birds.
[1560-70; BULL1 (perh. in sense "bull-necked") + FINCH]
bullfinch2
/bool"finch'/, n.
a hedge high enough to impede mounted hunters.
[1825-35; of uncert. orig.]

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Any of several species of stocky, stout-billed songbird (family Fringillidae).

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. Usually found in evergreen groves and hedgerows, it 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.

Common bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

H.M. Barnfather/Bruce Coleman Ltd.

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▪ bird
 any of several stocky stout-billed songbirds of the family Fringillidae (order Passeriformes). Eurasia has six species of the genus Pyrrhula, all boldly marked. The common bullfinch (P. pyrrhula), 15 centimetres (6 inches) long, is black and white, and the male has a pinkish-orange underside. This species, usually found in evergreen groves and hedgerows, has a soft warbling call; it is a popular cage bird. The trumpeter bullfinch (Rhodopechys githaginea) of arid localities from the Canary Islands to India is a pale bird washed with pink; it has a blaring buzzy note.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bullfinch — is a name given to two groups of passerine birds.The true bullfinches are thick billed finches in the passerine family Fringillidae. They comprise the genus Pyrrhula . These birds are restricted to the Old World, and are:* Brown Bullfinch,… …   Wikipedia

  • Bullfinch — Bull finch , n. (Zo[ o]l.) A bird of the genus {Pyrrhula} and other related genera, especially the {Pyrrhula vulgaris} or {Pyrrhula rubicilla}, a bird of Europe allied to the grosbeak, having the breast, cheeks, and neck, red. [1913 Webster] Note …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bullfinch — (engl., spr. finsch), Erdaufwurf mit Hecke beim Hindernisrennen …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • bullfinch — 1560s, from BULL (Cf. bull) (1) + FINCH (Cf. finch); supposedly so called for the shape of its head and neck; Cf. Fr. bouvreuil …   Etymology dictionary

  • bullfinch — ► NOUN ▪ a finch with mainly grey and black plumage, of which the male has a pink breast …   English terms dictionary

  • bullfinch — [bool′finch΄] n. [ BULL + FINCH] any of various finches of Europe, Asia, and North America; esp., a European species (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) with a black head and white rump …   English World dictionary

  • Bullfinch — Bull|finch [...fintʃ] der; s, s <aus gleichbed. engl. bullfinch, älter engl. bullfinch fence »Gimpelzaun«> hohe Hecke als Hindernis bei Pferderennen …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • bullfinch — UK [ˈbʊlˌfɪntʃ] / US noun [countable] Word forms bullfinch : singular bullfinch plural bullfinches a small European bird with grey and pink feathers …   English dictionary

  • Bullfinch — Bull|finch [ bʊlfɪntʃ], der; s, s [engl. bullfinch, H. u.] (Pferdesport): hohe Hecke als Hindernis bei Pferderennen …   Universal-Lexikon

  • bullfinch — [[t]b ʊlfɪntʃ[/t]] bullfinches N COUNT A bullfinch is a type of small European bird. The male has a black head and a pinkish red breast …   English dictionary

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