Blue Chaffinch (Fringilla teydea), female, Tenerife, Canary Islands

The Blue Chaffinch (Fringilla teydea) is an endemic bird to the Canary Islands. There are two genetically distinct races of this species. The female shown in this picture belongs to the "teydea" subspecies, and lives in the pine forests of Tenerife. The subspecies "polatzeki", instead, lives in the pine forests of Gran Canaria, and differs from the "teydea" subspecies in having two clear white wing-bars. The Blue Chaffinch is slightly larger than the European Chaffinch.