The hawfinch is the largest finch in Britain and one of the most powerful, capable of cracking cherry and olive stones, yet it has undergone severe population declines as the ancient woodland and traditional orchards it depends on have been lost.
Hawfinch welfare depends on mature woodland containing the cherry, hornbeam, wych elm, yew, and beech that provide the hard-fruited seeds which the species has uniquely evolved to exploit. Loss and fragmentation of ancient woodland has eliminated the food resource base across much of the former range. Disturbance at winter roost sites in yew woodland by recreational users, dog walkers, and logging operations is an acute welfare threat. The species extreme shyness means disturbance causes prolonged displacement with significant energy costs.