Laurence Alder
- Feb 11, 2021
- 4 min read

Brambling | Fringilla Montifringilla

Well, here we are, another blog post. The second one in hopefully a long line of fun little ditties that will appear on my website, and the first post that is directly linked to my latest collection.

Within my fibre art practice, I think it is absolutely imperative that I provide some information with regards to the inspiration behind my pieces of work. This way, you will be able to find out something new, whilst also admiring your new piece of handmade art. In a way 'it puts a name and story, to the face'

My most recent series, The Winter Bird Collection, takes inspiration from 6 different birds that call the UK their home for the winter. So there will be 6 little blog posts that will dish out the facts on these fascinating creatures! At the end of all blog posts there will be a sources section where you can do further reading. This is also where I have collected the information from.

Watercoloured Paper in Orange and Black Handwoven into a piece framed art. On top of a sketchbook with a small brambling. — Brambling 04, 05, 06 & Sketchbook Inspiration

A Brambling 'Low-Down'

Scientific Name: Fringilla Montifringilla Average Size (Height): 14.5cm

Average Wingspan: 25-28cm

Average Life Span: Up to 5 Years

Status: Secure

What's In The Name?

One of my favourite parts of this project, and whenever researching animals in general, is finding out their scientific Latin name this is known as Taxonomy. Sometimes they are completely beautiful and sometimes they are hilariously odd.

The brambling is no exception. Fringilla Montifringilla makes me think that I am going to be presented with a little Italian Coffee! In fact, Fringilla is actually the name given to most finches in the family Fringillidae. The term 'Mont' in the latter part of the name translates to 'mountain', which hints at their typical habitats.

Distribution & Migration

As this project is mainly inspired by birds that visit the UK in the Winter, we shall begin by looking at where on earth the Brambling comes from, and why they make the journey to visit this part of the world. Their native land is Siberia and Scandinavia, and the numbers that we see within the UK during the winter purely depends on the breeding success during the Spring & Summer months.

As with many migrations, the journey the Brambling makes is due to the plunging temperatures of Eastern Europe during the winter period. Although we see our winters as a bit chilly (that's an understatement; the 2021 winter has been interesting to say the least), the Brambling must feel rather toasty when comparing it to their native land.

You'll mainly find these little finches through parks and beech/spruce forests throughout the UK. They will be abundant in areas with trees like Birch, Spruce & Beech. They are particularly fond of the food provided by the Beech Trees (Beech Mast) which they feed on during the winter. You can even see them in your garden sometimes with their pals, the Chaffinch.

Brambling Paper Weave & Collage with Sketchbook Work

Plumage - It's All About the Look!

The plumage of the Brambling varies depending on the gender of the bird, furthermore this specific type of Finch is quite unique, as the colours and feathers of the Male brambling change throughout the seasons.

During the winter the male Brambling displays a scaly head with browns, blacks and beiges creating a mottled texture. A bright orange chest adorns the bird, making it one of its stand out characteristics. The orange contrasts beautifully with the black spots on the flanks of the bird and black wings with white striped details.

During the summer the black details become more prominent and replace the mottled browns that are displayed during the winter. Female brambling have whiter bellies and dark lines above their eyes (they almost look like drawn-on eyebrows!) Nice to know that finches like to have their eyebrows 'on fleek' too!

The plumage is what really inspired me with all my pieces within the Winter Bird Collection. The pieces within the Brambling series makes use of the beautiful contrast of orange and black. This is featured on top of subtle beiges and mottled browns to really capture the essence of the Brambling.

That's It, That's The Tweet

The Brambling has a distinctive call that is slightly more powerful than a Chaffinch. You can listen to the call of a Brambling here. This is quite a unique recording as usually you see these birds in their thousands, no social distancing required there then!

Nesting & Feeding

The nest of the Brambling is usually in the fork of a tree within the Birch woods of Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. The nests are very neat and a female can lay up to 5-7 eggs. They will only ever breed once, which is most likely within their first year.

During the Summer the Brambling feasts on Insects. During the winter, whilst in the UK, they tend to feed on beech mast, berries and seeds. You can help provide food for them by placing sunflower hearts or a finch mix on a feeding table or on the ground in your garden (that's if you don't have the cast of 'Cats' frequenting your neighbourhood!)

Brambling Paper Weaves & Collages with Sketchbook Inspiration

Donate

With each sale made within the Winter Bird Collection 10% of profits are donated to the RSPB. They are one of the largest conservation charities within the UK. To find out more about their work or to donate to the charity please visit their website.