Races:
Coccothraustes coccothraustes coccothraustes Linnaeus, 1758
Coccothraustes coccothraustes humii Sharpe, 1886

No Synonyms

Description

Rare resident or rare winter visitor in places. Inhabits deciduous forest of apple, cherry-plum, walnut, grapes and gardens near villages. On migration occurs in valley forest, forest belts, groves and gardens. In Altai fledgling with female recorded in 31 May 1970. Autumn migration of nominate subspecies begins in second half of August, but in some years in September or October only in small groups, flocks or singly. In spring they migrate in March – April, latest observed in April – May (in Almaty 18 May 1962). In end April subspecies humii observed by pairs. Female begins to lay eggs in second half of May. Juvenile shot 18 August, and moulting bird in October. No other data existed.

Races

Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes coccothraustes)

Coccothraustes coccothraustes coccothraustes Linnaeus, 1758 Head and top upper tail coverts rusty-brown-ochre, back and upper lesser wing coverts dark-chestnut. Grey colour on upper back, white colour on belly, around of black throat spot developed less than humii. Under parts vinous greyish-brownish. Occasionally breeding in Western Altai, where on Ubinskiy ridge fledgling observed in 1971, broods recorded at Ridder and near Ust-Kamenogorsk, and birds building the nest observed 2 May 1982 near Buran village in Chernyy Irtysh valley. It observed twice in mid-June on Markakol' lake. On migration occurs practically everywhere in Kazakhstan, from Volga-Ural area, where common in Ural valley, and Mangyshlak up to Irtysh valley between Pavlodar and Ust-Kamenogorsk, on Markakol' lake in Altai, in lower current of Ile river, Almaty, very rare near Chelkar station in autumn, at Zlikha at lower Sarysu river adult bird caught 9 August 1986 and young one 19 September 1982, in Syrdarya valley, in foothills of Talasskiy Alatau, on Chokpak Pass (ringed in mid-end October 1968, 1971, 1974 and 2004), in Chimkent and Tashkent. Subspecies of these birds established not always.

Coccothraustes coccothraustes humii Sharpe, 1886 Head, back, upper tail coverts, breast and sides ochre-yellowish. Grey colour on upper back, white colour on belly, around of black throat spot and on upper greater wing coverts distributed more widely than coccothraustes. Longest upper tail coverts are ochre. Under parts rusty-yellow. Breeding in Western Tien Shan, in lower valleys of Pskem and Ugam rivers. At once in 25 May 1944 observed in Aksu-Dzhabagly Reserve (may be nominate subspecies?). The scales of autumn-winter dispersal not investigated.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005
Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.