Bullfinch or Robin?

These two get mixed up constantly. Here is what actually separates them, taken from each bird's own page.

Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

A robin's breast is orange, not pink, and stops at the upper belly; a male bullfinch is deep rose-pink right down the underparts. The robin also has a plain brown head with a big dark eye and a fine bill, against the bullfinch's black cap and thick stubby bill. And a robin has no white rump.

Robin

Erithacus rubecula

A male bullfinch's underparts are a far deeper pinkish-red than a robin's orange, and the red covers the whole breast and belly. It also has a solid black cap and a thick, stubby black bill, and shows a bright white rump as it flies away — a robin shows none.

Side by side

	Bullfinch	Robin
Size	A little larger and much heavier-built than a robin — thick-necked, round-bodied, with a stubby bill.	The reference bird — about 14cm, round-bodied, with a habitually upright stance.
Where you'll see it	Inside hedges and large shrubs and along woodland edge; occasionally on sunflower hearts, always close to cover.	Low perches, borders and freshly dug soil; on the ground far more than on feeders.
What it eats	Seeds of ash, nettle, dock and bramble; tree and shrub buds in late winter and spring; some insects for the young.	Worms, beetles, spiders and other invertebrates; berries and seeds in winter, plus mealworms and suet.
When	Resident all year. Most conspicuous in late winter and early spring when feeding on buds.	Resident all year. Territories are held by both sexes through the winter.
Status	Amber listed	Green listed

Still not sure? Describe what you saw and we will rank every garden bird against it — including these two.

Both descriptions are taken from the species pages, which cite the BTO and RSPB. Reviewed 2026-09-20.