THE CHAFFINCH 



FRINGILLA CALEBS 



LOCAL names in surrounding counties : " Karfinch " 

 (Kent). 



STATUS IN BRITISH AVIFAUNA : A common resident in 

 all suitable districts, its numbers increased in autumn 

 by migrants. 



RADIAL DISTRIBUTION WITHIN FIFTEEN MILES OF ST. 

 PAUL'S : The Chaffinch is another well-known and widely 

 distributed species within the Metropolitan area. It 

 breeds more or less regularly as near to the central districts 

 as Regent's Park (certainly in the Botanical Gardens, and 

 probably in the Zoological Gardens) and Battersea Park, 

 but closer in it can only be classed as an irregular winter 

 visitor. As the suburbs become more rural the Chaf- 

 finch, of course, becomes increasingly common. It is a 

 common bird in the Streatham, Wimbledon, Richmond, 

 and Bushey districts, and thence passing northwards it 

 is of general occurrence about Hounslow, Kew, Chis- 

 wick, Gunnersbury, Ealing, Osterley, Hanwell, Twyford, 

 Wembley, Harlesden, Cricklewood, Willesden, Kilburn, 

 Hampstead, Highgate, Wanstead, southwards to Green- 

 wich, Brockley, Dulwich, and Norwood. Throughout 

 the radius of the more outlying suburbs the Chaffinch is, 

 if anything, still more numerous and generally dispersed. 

 In winter its numbers seem to be perceptibly increased 

 in some districts by migrants, and at this season it visits 

 various parts of the more central area. I have seen this 

 species in winter as close to St. Paul's as Lincoln's Inn, 

 and very probably it occasionally visits many of the larger 

 squares. I can also record it then from St. James's Park, 

 the Green Park, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace grounds, 

 Holland Park, Peckham Rye, Clapham Common, and 



