VOOUS KH (1951) A new race of Bullfinch from the Iberian Peninsula. LIMOSA 24 (3): 131-131.

Breeding cases of the Bullfincb Pyrrhula pyrrhula on the Iberian Peninsula have never been recorded Indeed Von Jordans & Steinbacher (Ann. Naturhist Mus Wien 52 1941 p 209 ) have seriously doubted the existence of a breeding population of that species in Spain and Portugal; the relatively few Bullfinches collected south of the Pyrenees being wintering specimens from more northerly breeding populations according to their view. In a recent treatise on the distributional history of the Bullfinches (Condor 51 1949 p 52-81) I did not at all exclude the possibility of the Bullfinch being a breeding bird on the Iberian Peninsula. Particularly not because Ticehurst & Whistler ( Ibis 1928 p 668) have found the species in Galicia as late in spring as on May 13 Recently I asked Mr H Grün who is a bird collector at Linares de Riofrio near Salamanca W Spain to keep a special look out for Bullfinches, Mr Grün could not only inform me that in spring growing in the small river valleys, thus indicating the existence of a native breeding stock. but he also sent me the skins of three females and one male, collected on Dec 24 1950 Jan 10 1951 March 4 1951 (females), and March 3 1951 (male), respectively. Through the kindness of Dr A Von Jordans I could compare these specimens with an additional female from the Museum "Alexander Koenig" in Bonn, collected by Grün in the same region (Lagunilla near Salamanca) on Dec 17 1933 (wing 80 mm). Only this latter specimen fully agreed with breeding birds from the western parts of Central Europe (P pyrrhula coccinea) confirming the statements by Von Jordans " Steinbacher (I.e.) regarding the migratory origin of at least some of the Bullfinches collected in Spain. The other birds of both sexes differed to such an extent in the coloration of their upper and under parts, that it does not seem hazardous to consider them as representatives of an Iberian breeding stock, which has to be described as follows: Pyrrhula pyrrhula coccinea = Pyrrhula pyrrhula iberiae Bullfinches

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