Chaffinch
pahirini · Fringilla coelebs
Commonly seen at bush edges, in gardens and in clearings.
Story
Released by acclimatisation societies from 1862. It was slow to establish, but is now New Zealand's commonest and most widespread introduced finch, and has reached many offshore islands by itself.
Behaviour
Eats seeds on the ground and in trees, and catches insects in foliage or on the wing. In autumn it joins mixed flocks, sometimes with fantails and silvereyes in native forest.